Sussex Police aims to boost number of ethnic minority officers

Sussex Police has signed up to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

It aims to break down barriers that potential recruits and existing officers face to make the force representative of the county.

The force says it has nearly doubled its recruitment of black, Asian and ethnic minority officers in the past year.

Deputy Chief Constable Julia Chapman

Deputy Chief Constable Julia Chapman said: “We know that people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities still face significant disparities in employment and progression, and this is something we want to change.

“We have existing initiatives and activities in place, but we are committed to continuing to develop our approach.

“We will be exploring further opportunities to improve our workforce representation, in particular looking at how we can raise awareness among our diverse communities of the great career opportunities and progression on offer for both police officers and police staff.

“At Sussex Police, we are passionate about inclusion and diversity, and we want to keep conversations about race, equality and inclusion in our everyday discussions throughout the year.”

DETECTIVES: University of Cumbria police apprenticeship team members, Sussex Chief Constable Jo Shiner and police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne (front row) welcome the new detective constable and police constable recruits to Sussex Police

Last year, there were Black Lives Matter protests in the city with people demanding a change.

During one protest in June, an officer with riot gear was seen “taking the knee” outside the police station in John Street, Brighton, after being asked to do so by protesters.

Concerns were also raised about the arrest of a man in Montpelier Road, Brighton, where some witnesses said they were “horrified” about a black man being pinned down in the street.

The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and in December the force said the officer involved in the arrest will be asked to “reflect” and “learn” from the incident.

Read more on this topic:

• Michael Abatan holds protest to mark 20-year anniversary of Jay Abatan's death

• New Brighton PC Ramon Vaughan Williams starts on the beat

• VIDEO - Shock over arrest made at Montpelier Road in Brighton

• Recap of Black Lives Matter protest in Brighton - July 11 2020

• Protest outside John Street police station over death of Mohamud Mohammed Hassan in Cardiff following his arrest - February 21 2021

At the time, Brighton and Hove District Commander Nick May said: “All police officers are trained to use reasonable force, lawfully and proportionately, if they believe there is an imminent risk of physical harm to either the public or to themselves, and if they cannot otherwise defuse the situation.

“It is vital people can trust and have confidence in our policing approach, that we are fair, inclusive and that we treat everyone in our diverse communities equally and with respect.

“We meet regularly with community groups and independent advisors to seek their feedback and advice on this but accept there is always more work to do.”

Sussex Police is seeking to recruit more Black, Asian and ethnic minority officers - and has had a year under the spotlight over race relations

Sussex Police have also faced ongoing criticism from Michael Abatan calling for police to look into the killing of his brother Jay in 1999.

Chief Superintendent May previously said the force has “apologised publicly and often for failings in 1999” and has reorganised how it approaches investigations.

He said any new information in the case of Jay Abatan would be taken seriously.

Nick May

Last year, The Argus reported on how PC Ramon Vaughan Williams was doing after joining the force as a PC apprentice, learning on the beat.

He said he was relishing the opportunity to get stuck into his job, and said he has good listening skills and life experience to help him diffuse tough situations.

This year, Sussex Police said ethnic minority recruits accounted for 11.3 per cent of recruits, up from 5.9 per cent the year before.

New recruits for Sussex Police including PC Ramon Vaughan Williams in Brighton

The force has an established Race Advisory Group with people represented from across various communities.

It is independently chaired and plays a role in advising on force policies and the approach to policing.

There is also a Race Equality Champion, to give visible leadership within the organisation on race equality, and an active Race Equality Staff Network group to give support and advice to officers and staff.