Top UK police chiefs have ordered officers across the country to write 500-word essays on their views about racism as part of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) training sessions, according to documents revealed by The Telegraph. The courses, which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money, have sparked political backlash and renewed concerns over 'two-tier' policing.
Details of the Training Programmes
Surrey Police sessions require officers to compose essays on anti-racism after receiving lessons on diversity and inclusion. Northamptonshire Police personnel are reportedly being told that Brexit has caused a rise in far-right hate incidents, while the City of London Police hosts a 'listening circle' about Gaza. A National Police Chief Council document stated that a commitment to racial equity 'does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality)'.
Political Reaction and Criticism
Police Minister Sarah Jones said the guidance gives the 'wrong impression' and suggested the wording needs to be changed. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip described the equality lessons as a 'catalogue of insanity' and a 'catastrophic waste of money'. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: 'The growth of DEI training in the police, justice system and wider public sector is alarming. Much of this so-called ‘training’, whether on unconscious bias, gender or institutional racism, is pure Left-wing ideology.'
Background and Controversy
The training comes after concerns that police believed 18-year-old Henry Nowak's killer, Vickrum Digwa, who lied to officers claiming he was the victim of a racist attack. Officers did not believe Henry when he told them he had been stabbed, leading to claims of 'two-tier' policing. Police racism guidance is to be reviewed.
Police Responses
A Surrey Police spokesman said: 'Surrey Police’s foundation training includes lessons on culture and inclusion and on hate crime as guided by the overarching training curriculum for new officers laid out by the College of Policing. We do not instruct officers either to record or not record non-crime hate incidents (NCHI). In March this year, it was announced nationally that the current NCHI system will be replaced with a new approach to keep individuals and communities safe, while making clear that lawful free speech is not a police matter.'
A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: 'We are committed to ensuring their workforces have the knowledge and skills required to serve all communities fairly, effectively and in accordance with the law. The training materials referenced in your enquiry are designed to support staff in understanding equality legislation, recognising bias and delivering services that meet the needs of our diverse communities. The materials reference trends observed in relation to the growth of far-right groups in the UK and Europe since 2016 and include reference to the EU referendum as part of that timeline. However, the material does not state that the referendum caused those trends.'
A City of London Police spokesman said: 'Ensuring our officers are educated and understand the social issues they encounter every day to remain aware and impartial is important. By continually developing our knowledge, we are better equipped to make informed decisions, maintain public confidence, and provide the highest standards of service to everyone, which is in line with our policing plan aim to be one of the most inclusive police forces in the country.'
