Five quit over police racism programme
A total of four officers have now resigned over a BBC documentary aimed at exposing racism among police recruits.
Three officers from Greater Manchester Police tendered their resignation this afternoon, followed shortly afterwards by PC Steve Salkeld from the Cheshire force. The news follows the resignation of PC Robert Pulling earlier on Wednesday.
PC Pulling was seen using overtly racist language, admitting that he would kill an Asian if he could “get away with it” and even wearing a homemade Ku Klux Klan style mask.
His resignation was accepted by the North Wales police force. Deputy Chief Constable of North Wales Police, Clive Wolfendale, branded him a ‘disgrace’ and said he felt ‘physically sick’ watching the programme.
A further three officers have been suspended pending an investigation into the BBC documentary, The Secret Policeman.
The programme showed another recruit stating that he would treat people differently during the course of his job according to their race; while one of the trainees claimed that the murderers of black teenager Stephen Lawrence should be given diplomatic immunity.
Commenting on the documentary, screened on Tuesday night on BBC One, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Green of Greater Manchester Police said: “Racism has no place in Greater Manchester Police and we are totally committed to tackling it both inside and outside the force.
“Our investigation into the issues, which is being independently supervised, will be thorough.”
The investigation was conducted by undercover reporter Mark Daly, who posed as a police cadet for six months secretly filming his fellow trainees.
He has been arrested on suspicion of deception and damaging police property and is due to answer bail next month.
The Home Office minister Hazel Blears said she was ‘appalled’ by the behaviour demonstrated by recruits in the report. However, she stressed that recruits were tested seven times on diversity and race views and added that 4.5 per cent had failed the training on the diversity testing alone.
