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No police force close to matching ethnic makeup of local population No police force close to matching ethnic makeup of local population
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None of the 42 police forces in England and Wales come close to accurately reflecting the ethnic makeup of their local population, analysis by the Guardian shows.None of the 42 police forces in England and Wales come close to accurately reflecting the ethnic makeup of their local population, analysis by the Guardian shows.
The home secretary, Theresa May, has said police forces in Britain need to better represent the populations they serve, and that the pace of change in recruiting non-white and female officers remains too slow.The home secretary, Theresa May, has said police forces in Britain need to better represent the populations they serve, and that the pace of change in recruiting non-white and female officers remains too slow.
The analysis shows that in three of the biggest forces – Greater Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – the percentage of non-white officers was less than a third of the proportion of non-white people in the overall population.The analysis shows that in three of the biggest forces – Greater Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – the percentage of non-white officers was less than a third of the proportion of non-white people in the overall population.
A similar picture emerged in the country’s biggest police force, the Metropolitan police, where 11.7% of officers came from minority ethnic communities, according to figures from March this year, while the 2011 census found an overall minority ethnic population in London of 40.2%. A similar picture emerged in the country’s biggest police force, the Metropolitan police, where 11.7% of officers came from minority-ethnic communities, according to figures from March this year, while the 2011 census found an overall minority-ethnic population in London of 40.2%.
May said policing by consent required representative police forces. “If police forces do not truly represent the people they serve, if they are not made up of men and women of all backgrounds, if they do not properly reflect the communities where local officers police, then we cannot truly say the police are the public, and the public are the police.”May said policing by consent required representative police forces. “If police forces do not truly represent the people they serve, if they are not made up of men and women of all backgrounds, if they do not properly reflect the communities where local officers police, then we cannot truly say the police are the public, and the public are the police.”
The home secretary also dismissed senior officers’ worries that a reduction in stop and search operations had increased offences such as knife crimes. She said this was a “kneejerk reaction” and “false”. The home secretary also dismissed senior officers’ worries that a reduction in stop-and-search operations had increased offences such as knife crimes. She said this was a “kneejerk reaction” and “false”.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met commissioner, has said a rise in knife crime in London can be connected to large reductions in stops and searches by his officers. Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met commissioner, has said a rise in knife crime in London can be connected to large reductions in stop and searches by his officers.
May noted that, “incredibly”, four forces did not employ any black or black British officers – Cheshire, Dyfed-Powys, North Yorkshire and Durham. All have a small proportion of police from other minority ethnic groups – between 0.6% and 1.7% of each force’s total. On Thursday morning, shortly after her speech, the Met put out a strongly worded statement hitting back at the home secretary. “Our clear intention is to continue with the targeted use of stop and search, and the Home Office appears to have misunderstood our responses to recent rises in knife crime and our future intentions. There has been no kneejerk reaction nor will there be.”
May said making the police more diverse was about more than just consent, as it would also “make much better use of the talents and skills of people of all backgrounds and groups – including not only BME communities but also disabled officers, officers from LGBT groups and from all faiths”. May noted that, “incredibly”, four forces did not employ any black or black British officers – Cheshire, Dyfed-Powys, North Yorkshire and Durham. All have a small proportion of police from other minority-ethnic groups – between 0.6% and 1.7% of each force’s total.
May said making the police more diverse was about more than just consent, as it would also “make much better use of the talents and skills of people of all backgrounds and groups – including not only BME [black and minority-ethnic] communities but also disabled officers, officers from LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] groups and from all faiths”.
While saying the pace of change was too slow, May said she did not agree with positive discrimination to boost non-white numbers. “I think to go down that path would be a mistake. Because what would we be trying to achieve by pursuing positive discrimination rather than other types of positive action?While saying the pace of change was too slow, May said she did not agree with positive discrimination to boost non-white numbers. “I think to go down that path would be a mistake. Because what would we be trying to achieve by pursuing positive discrimination rather than other types of positive action?
“If it is to speed up the pace of change, then the process of passing a law for positive discrimination would itself be lengthy, requiring us to seek a derogation from the EU with no guarantee of success.”“If it is to speed up the pace of change, then the process of passing a law for positive discrimination would itself be lengthy, requiring us to seek a derogation from the EU with no guarantee of success.”
Instead, she said, the Home Office would begin publishing “diversity profiles” for every police force in England and Wales, so local communities could see how well their local force represented them.Instead, she said, the Home Office would begin publishing “diversity profiles” for every police force in England and Wales, so local communities could see how well their local force represented them.
The Guardian analysis found big differentials between the ethnic make-up of the local population and the police in a series of forces, including some of the biggest. The Guardian analysis found big differentials between the ethnic makeup of the local population and the police in a series of forces, including some of the biggest.
In Greater Manchester, 16.2% of the population is non-white, and 5% of the police. In the West Midlands the figures were 29.9% and 8.6%, and in West Yorkshire they were 18.3% and 5.1%. In Greater Manchester, 16.2% of the population is non-white, and 5% of the police. In the West Midlands, the figures were 29.9% and 8.6% respectively, and in West Yorkshire they were 18.3% and 5.1%.
For all forces, the 2015 data does not record the ethnicity of a relatively small number of officers. In two forces – Devon and Cornwall and Avon and Somerset – the data is less clear because a significant proportion of officers do not have their ethnicity stated in the official figures For all forces, the 2015 data does not record the ethnicity of a relatively small number of officers. In two forces – Devon & Cornwall and Avon and Somerset – the data is less clear because a significant proportion of officers do not have their ethnicity stated in the official figures
In Bedfordshire, 22.5% of the population is non-white, and 6.1% of the police. In Leicestershire it is 21.6% and 7.3%, and in the Thames Valley it is 15.4% and 5%.In Bedfordshire, 22.5% of the population is non-white, and 6.1% of the police. In Leicestershire it is 21.6% and 7.3%, and in the Thames Valley it is 15.4% and 5%.
Related: What is UK police recruitment like for ethnic minorities?Related: What is UK police recruitment like for ethnic minorities?
In Cheshire, white people are five times more represented in the police force than black and ethnic minorities. There are 3.8 BME police officers per 10,000 BME people, compared with 19.2 white police officers per 10,000 white people.In Cheshire, white people are five times more represented in the police force than black and ethnic minorities. There are 3.8 BME police officers per 10,000 BME people, compared with 19.2 white police officers per 10,000 white people.
Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the issue was well known. “No one in the police service disagrees that forces should be as representative of and responsive to their local community, whatever its makeup, as possible,” he said.Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the issue was well known. “No one in the police service disagrees that forces should be as representative of and responsive to their local community, whatever its makeup, as possible,” he said.
“Great strides have been made in this regard in recent years but of course there is still more to do. Forces have been stripped almost bare of officers due to this government’s cuts. For the home secretary to be focusing on the makeup of the few officers left rather than on the crisis about to envelop policing as the next round of cuts approaches feels like little more than a good way to bury bad news.”“Great strides have been made in this regard in recent years but of course there is still more to do. Forces have been stripped almost bare of officers due to this government’s cuts. For the home secretary to be focusing on the makeup of the few officers left rather than on the crisis about to envelop policing as the next round of cuts approaches feels like little more than a good way to bury bad news.”