Police Racism

Police RacismKashif Ahmed Complaints and suspension graphs01/04/08 31/03/09More Asian Officers suspended than White Officers despite complaints against White Officers being significantly higherIn 2009 there were more Asian Police Officers suspended from West Yorkshire Police incomparison to White officers despite the complaints against White officers beingsignificantly higher. The majority of complaints in West Yorkshire Police are against White Officers.A massive 96% of complaints are against White Officers whereas only 3.8% of complaintsare against Asian Officers.However despite there being a significantly high percentage of complaints against WhiteOfficers the percentage rate for suspension is relatively low at only 0.09%.In comparison despite there being a relatively low complaints percentage against AsianOfficers, the suspension percentage is significantly higher at 4%.The above figures unequivocally demonstrate the disproportionality against Asian Officers.

Racially motivated crimes in West Yorkshire rise 965%

The number of racially or religiously-motivated crimes being reported to West Yorkshire Police has risen 12 times faster than in other parts of the country.

Newspaper headlines in which West Yorkshire Police integrity has been called into question over the last few years from a number of quarters:

West Yorkshire Police accused of racismOne of Britain's biggest police forces has been dragged into a racism row over allegations that its ethnic minority officers were humiliated and harassed.

Force stereotyping ethnic officers

Worker for West Yorkshire Police was racistKeighley Pc faces racism probe after arresting assault victims dadGood Samaritan assaulted by Police Complaints against West YorkshirePolice rise 10%Supergrass given drugs by WestYorkshire PoliceFormer West Yorkshire Police Detectives Child Porn shame. 563 indecent images of children. Didnt go to prison. Worked in the Anti-corruption unit of West Yorkshire PSD.West Yorkshire Police officer stole4,000 from raids on brothels Police officer from West YorkshirePolice charged with stealing drugsWest Yorkshire Police accused ofcopyright theft.

The case of Anwar Gillespie

Anwar Gillespie, 39, was dragged from a neighbours house, pulled to the ground and kicked and punched by officers, as he tried to act as a peacemaker.Mr Gillespie was pulled to the floor, struck above the eye by an officers knee, and hit on the back of the head while face down. He was kicked and punched a number of times, his arms handcuffed behind his back, and one officer put his hand over his face and pushed his fingers into Mr Gillespies eyes. He was held at Trafalgar House police station, where he was detained for 24 hours. He suffered cuts, bruises, grazes and swelling. It took 2 years for West Yorkshire Police to apologise to him. No officer was ever sacked or suspended. StatisticsMr Burns-Williamson the current Police & Crime Commissioner has been with the West Yorkshire Police Authority for the past 14 years during which we saw some of the worst figures ever:

West Yorkshire has the 4th highest hate crime figures in the country

West Yorkshire has the 4th highest race hate crime figures nationally

West Yorkshire has the highest disability hate crime figures in the country

West Yorkshire Police is among the top five worst forces in the country for not recording crimes

Disability Hate Crime has increased by 488% in West Yorkshire in the last 3 years.

In 2011 there were 1514 racial offences recorded by West Yorkshire Police but only 625 were detected

Black people are almost 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched under s.23 than white people in West Yorkshire.

Asian Officers targeted by West Yorkshire Police

Bradford detective cleared on judge's orderBradford detective remains suspended as misconduct charge considered

Cleared cop tells of living nightmare

Judge tells Bradford jury they reached right verdict

Comparators A TOP cop allegedly decorated her HQ with expensive oil paintings boughtwith taxpayers cash from her own shop.

Chief Superintendent Alison Rose, 46, is said to have billed her force for a reported 1,500

Not arrested Not suspended Not prosecuted

Chief Superintendent Whitehouse Det Chief Insp Belton Sgt BeddisChief Superintendent Whitehouse was alleged to have been caught having sex in a police station steam room with Chief Insp Belton which led to a physical altercation between Chief Supt Whitehouse and Sgt Beddis the husband of Chief Insp Belton . Neither officer was suspended or sacked. West Yorkshire Police regarded it as private and off duty matter.

West Yorkshire Police Officer Mark Carter was charged with three counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape and possession of body-building drug Stanazol. A jury heard he groped three men on a night out before raping another in his hotel room. A jury was told that the PC picked up one of the men in a bar and took him back to his room where he punched him in the face when he wouldn't perform a sex act on him before raping him. He was subsequently cleared at Court but the jury failed to reach a verdict on another sexual assault charge. He returned to work within weeks. In comparison PC Ahmed was cleared at Court and remained suspended for a further 8 months. West Yorkshire Black Police Association survey 2010

71% of BME staff present at the meeting answered the question Yes they have experienced discrimination, bullying, harassment or unfair treatment at work?

80% felt that the discipline investigation and unsatisfactory performance was not fair, transparent and proportionate.

70% did not feel the outcome of the procedure was proportionate in comparison to non BME colleagues?

January 2011 survey by West Yorkshire Police Authority

Responses tended to be more negative from BME than white respondents

More white than BME employees recalled having a complaint or allegation of misconduct made against them (55% vs 50%).

When asked how respondents felt they were treated throughout the process, the majority responded negatively, stating they were treated unfairly, like a criminal, they were not kept informed or listened to, and their treatment was disproportionate.

Muslim PC sues after workmates 'laughed at his beard'

'If you complain about racism, your career is finished,' says Met detective Gurpal Singh Virdi

Police 'in denial' over rise in racism complaints.Allegations have doubled in 10 years.

A Muslim police officer claims he was forcedout of his job by colleagues who made fun ofhis beard and called him a 'f***ing Paki'. Black police reporting racism 'labelledtroublemakersCourt finds Asian policeman was jailed for a crime he didn't commit was framed by 'racist' colleagues.

The case of former Police Officer Kashif Ahmed

Arrested by 7 Police Officers

Arrested in excess of 16 times

Interviewed in excess of 19 times

Held in police detention for 35 hours

Investigated in excess of 2 years

Suspended for 2 years and 9 months

83 Police Officers utilised in the investigation against him

Interviewed by the Murder Team

Subjected to 8 interviews in one day over 13 hours

Re-bailed 5 times

Held on police bail for 8 months

Investigated by HMET, RART, MIRT, ECU and the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU)

His passport and immigration status were checked including that of his father who had passed away.

In excess of 46 PNC Checks were carried out this included checking cars belonging to his family, friends and relatives and car which he had not owned for some 15 years. In excess of 49 data protection forms and 28 production orders obtained

He was investigated by the CTU for having a standing order through his bank which paid the Friends of Al-Qqsa 10 a year. The Friends of Al- Aqsa has been endorsed by Baroness Jenny Tonge, Richard Burden MP, Martin Linton MP, Muslim Council of Britain, and by Councillor Salama Yaqoob.

He was called a terrorist by a supervisor for carrying a rucksack

He was asked to get a bacon butty by his supervisor when fasting

He was asked to sit in a mosque and spy on Muslims unofficially He Declined

His car was towed away from a private police car park

He was allocated remedial duties and treated less favourably to white colleagues

His driving course was taken off him and given to a less white experienced white officer

He was investigated by officers he had grievance and complained about

He was investigated for insuring his car at this home whilst living with his mother less than 1 mile away

He was investigated for renting his home on a residential mortgage despite the mortgage company making no complaint.

Witnesses persistently harassed and threatened with arrest.

An independent police expert with 29 years police service examined the case of ex-police officer Kashif Ahmed and he made the following observations:

"Without delving too greatly into the micro-detail of the document there are several examples of inexplicable discrimination and disproportionality shown towards Mr Ahmed. The most indefensible and blatant example was the decision taken to prevent Mr Ahmed from sitting his police promotion examinations. There were also the unnecessary checks made with the passport office and immigration service a simple check with the HR department would have confirmed that Mr Ahmed held a UK passport has he had to provide those details when he applied to join the force. Finally, on two occasions at least the Counter Terrorist Unit was contacted by the investigation in an attempt to link Mr Ahmed to subversive activity; it is submitted that such enquiries were disproportionate and would they have been conducted if Mr Ahmed had not been Asian.

It is plain that that they were intent for Mr Ahmed to face criminal prosecution; this in itself represents discrimination and persecution.

In conclusion, these notes merely confirm and reinforce the opinion espoused above that the parameters of the investigation were being continually broadened to trap Mr Ahmed. This, in turn, resulted in the need to conduct a widespread fishing exercise into his financial affairs and inappropriate conduct by the investigating officers in an effort to secure information and evidence.

Comments by Kashifs supervisors

Kashif is a strong performer and is very highly motivated

He only has 3 years service as a Police Officer, but he does often display the qualities I would expect of an officer with twice his level of service

Kashif was an exceptional performer

He has a real passion for the job

Respected by his peers and his supervisor alike and was clearly well thought of

No ApologyDespite two separate court findings against West Yorkshire Police in which their officers were described as untruthful and were found to have acted unlawfully -West Yorkshire Police to date has never apologised to Mr Ahmed for his ordeal and the suffering that he endured over a 3 year period.

Adverse Judicial FindingsHHJ BENSON There was this very significant irregularity and impropriety at the root of the investigation the process as a whole is tarnished

HHJ BENSON An objective observer might consider that it smacked of oppressive conduct.

HHJ BENSON There was an excess of zeal by the officers who carried out the search, and in fact no documents were seized, and that is not a final finding of fact about thatHHJ BENSON I have to say that the treatment of those witnesses did give me cause for concern

HHJ BENSON And I find it incredible in fact, I do not accept her evidence that she did not realise the significance of that document as being legally privileged, and that she has not told the truth about that. She admits that she opened it, she admits that she read it, but it seems to me that a detective sergeant of 18 years experience must inevitably have realised the significance of it, and that nothing was done with it, and it seems to me, looking at the evidence of herself, together with that of DC Wade, and to some extent that of Diane Jessop, there has been an economy with the truth about this document.

HHJ BENSON: Can I raise the question of Count 3? You are pursuing that are you; the allegation being that he obtained a loan by under-stating his income Well, I think it might......it seems a bit counter-intuitive. You might find it somewhat difficult to persuade a jury that....of the Defendants guilt on that Count, but as I say, its entirely a matter for you.

HHJ Gosnell stated: I was not impressed by this lastminute change of evidence which appeared to be motivated by a need to plug a hole in the Defendants case which the Claimant had exposed. DS Wright in particular looked embarrassed to be making these assertions. I find as a fact that the car was searched at 7.40 as noted in the officers pocket notebooks and not at 8.30 as they contend.

Despite adverse judicial findings against a number of Officers no action was evertaken against them. They were not arrestedor suspended or subjected to a protracted investigation.

The IPCC held that the Police & Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire chose not to substantiate Mr Ahmeds complaint:

It has not been demonstrated by the PCC that all appropriate lines of enquiry have been followed.

Therefore the investigation is not proportionate and further investigation is directed.

Following the complaint Chief Constable Sim was asked to provide an advisory report and provided various options available to the PCC. It is clear from the Decision letter of the PCC that they chose not to substantiate the complaints, but I am not satisfied that the PCC followed up the advice of CC Sim by questioning the DCC on the points raised within the report. There is therefore no rationale or reasoning for the decisions demonstrated within the decision letter.