A high-profile black police officer has said he believes the PSNI have been too slow to commit to a national plan of action on inclusion and race in UK forces.
o Armagh born Andy George, who is president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), was speaking after the PSNI announced their plans to tackle violence against women and girls in the wake of the horrific murder of Aisling Murphy.
Mr George, a PSNI officer, said he wishes the force had been as responsive when the race action plan — a joint initiative by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) — was introduced nearly two years ago.
Instead, according to Mr George, they did not commit to one locally until he held an awareness event about it towards the end of last year.
In response to Mr George’s criticism, the PSNI said equality, diversity and inclusion “remain a priority” adding that the force is “committed to ensuring we are an inclusive organisation in which all people feel valued and represented”.
Mr George told the Belfast Telegraph that he held a meeting in City Hall on December 13 “after Mayor Kate Nicholl very kindly allowed us to be hosted there”.
“I brought over the NPCC chair Martin Hewitt to discuss the race action plan with the Chief Constable and others because nothing had been done or spoken about it,” the NBPA president said.
“I actually thought it was being rolled out here, but there has been nothing. At the minute we’re having conversations about that but that’s almost two years down the line since George Floyd’s murder by a police officer in the United States.”
Mr George pointed out that, nationally, plans to tackle violence against women and girls, has “moved quicker than the inclusion and race plan”.
“There are a few national challenges but the absence of anything locally is probably what is disheartening for our members, and for the black and Asian members within the PSNI,” he said. “The question is: why do some causes invoke empathy and action while others invoke hostility and inaction?
“That’s a key bit — that parity of treatment — people from ethnic minority backgrounds within policing don’t feel like they deserve the same protection or are getting the same protection.
“The violence against women and girls plan following last year’s horrific murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer is a really important piece of work and we wouldn’t want to take away from that.
“What we do want, however, is the same emphasis and action in relation to other issues.
“The ethnic minority police association locally wrote to the Chief Constable recently, outlining the fact that we thought we were still institutionally racist and that a number of actions need to be taken.
“That was sent just before Christmas, so there is still a lot of work to do in PSNI. I don’t think race has been developed at all within PSNI.”
He continued: “The two main focus areas for inclusion in PSNI are community background and gender.
“Both are part of that legislative process under the Good Friday Agreement and the Police Act 2000. But there’s nothing regarding the race issue; there’s no accountability mechanism around race at all and nobody in positions of power from black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds here.”
Mr George claimed that violence against women and girls gets acted upon quicker “because senior leaders can relate to it”.
“It’s that lack of thought around ethnic minorities which is really having a detrimental impact.”
He wants PSNI senior management to “redress the balance, take action and show they care”.
Mr George referenced the heavy-handed way the PSNI responded to BLM peaceful protests by using Covid legislation, something Chief Constable Simon Byrne later apologised for.
“Policing in Northern Ireland needs to respond to the emerging communities coming forward and embrace the diversity across society and in their own workforce,” said Mr George
Chief Superintendent Gerry McGrath, Head of the Community Safety Branch, “strongly refuted” the assertion “that our organisation is institutionally racist”.
“Equality, diversity and inclusion remain a priority for the Police Service of Northern Ireland and we are committed to ensuring we are an inclusive organisation in which all people feel valued and represented,” he said.
“This applies both to our internal working environment and how we deliver policing services to the community.
“All UK Police services on a national level are required to develop their own Male Violence and Intimidation against Women and Girls Strategy.
“Our strategy is currently being developed and has been well documented within the media.”
Chief Supt McGrath said “work is also well advanced in the development of our Race Action Plan, forming part of our People Strategy”.
“We have been working closely with a range of internal and external stakeholders including our Ethnic Minority Police Association on the development of this plan,” he told this newspaper.
“The PSNI remains determined to improve relationships and build confidence and trust in policing among all communities in Northern Ireland.
“Chief Constable Simon Byrne is due to meet with representatives from the Services Ethnic Minority Police Association later this week.”
