APPENDIX 19
Memorandum submitted by the National Association
of Muslim Police
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
National Association of Muslim Police represents
1000 police officers and staff throughout England, Wales and Scotland.
We are committed to working with the police service and community
to enhance security and help deliver safety to all of us.
National Association of Muslim Police recommends
that:
(a) Police services should monitor and record
the faith of staff routinely.
(b) The increased use of Muslim Police Officers
in Counter Terrorism Command in order to improve security operations.
(c) The current security vetting system be
overhauled so as to enable BME and minority faith officers to
serve in Counter Terrorism Command. This should be done in order
ensure that there is effective recruitment of police into this
area of operations.
(d) There needs to be a more systematic and
uniform approach to the collection of such data recording faith
hate incident and an research into the reasons for low reporting
levels.
(e) Muslim officers should be utilised in
an attempt to regain the confidence of the Muslim community through
the use of outreach, community cohesion and youth mentoring projects.
Better recruitment and retention of Officers
from BME and minority faith community backgrounds will help to
build a police force that reflects the society that it serves
and improves confidence and trust within BME and minority communities
in general and specifically within Muslim communities.
1. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF MUSLIM
POLICE (NAMP)
1.1 Background
The National Association of Muslim Police was
formed on 11 July 2007 at British Transport Police headquarters
2007. Chief Constable Peter Fahy and Dr Bari General Secretary
of the Muslim Council of Britain and the National Black Police
Association attended the launch.
1.2 Aims of the Organisation
The organisation has three key aims:
1. To increase recruitment, retention and
progression of Muslim police officers and Police staff.
2. To support Muslim officers and staff in
the organisation.
3. To assist and support social cohesion
projects. (NAMP is currently working on projects that utilise
Muslim Officers and Staff to mentor local Muslim young people).
1.3 Membership
Enclosed in Annex 1 is the constitution and
structure of the NAMP.
Currently, the association has over 1000 members
and has established branches in the following police forces:
British Transport Police
Cambridgeshire Police Service
Greater Manchester Police Service
Hertfordshire Constabulary
Metropolitan Police Service
West Midlands Police Service
Humberside Police Service
In addition to this branches are being set up
in Scotland, Yorkshire, Wales, Hampshire, City of London and Avon
and Somerset.
2. KEY SUBMISSIONS
ON COUNTER-TERRORISM
ISSUES
We would like to bring six key issues to the
attention of the home affairs select committee and the chair Keith
Vaz, MP.
2.1 Monitoring faith of officers and staff
in the police service
The police service does not routinely record
faith of its officers and staff. This has created a situation
where there is a lack of precise information around faith and
the police service. The NAMP believes that all police services
should monitor and record the faith of staff routinely. This information
can be used to assess whether the police service in the UK is
reflective of the diverse faith communities that the police service
serve.
Data on ethnicity is often used to extrapolate
assumed religion (this applies more often to prisoners than officers
where there has been scant attempt to record faith). This method
may have a degree of reliability for those of Pakistani and Bangladeshi
descent (although there are significant numbers of Bangladeshi
Hindus who would immediately be classed as Muslim on this ethnicity
basis). Pakistanis and Bangladeshis only make up 60% of the Muslim
population in the UK (2001 National Census),1 leaving a further
40% of Muslims of other ethnic groups. The Citizenship Survey
(2001)2 found Muslims could be found in substantial numbers within
11 separate ethnic groups. Similarly name recognition programmes
or processes risk excluding those who have non-Muslim names, including
many converts.
2.2 The benefits of utilising greater number
of Muslim Officers in Counter Terrorism Command
The UK is facing an unprecedented security challenge
from Al Qaeda and similar groups. NAMP believes using Muslim officers
and staff in counter terrorism and other specialist units would
assist in the development of a more effective operational policy.
At present, we understand there are only a handful Muslim officers
are employed in Counter Terrorism Commands in throughout the country.
In the London Debate Counter Terrorism 2007
Recommendation 39. Redouble efforts to recruit more Muslim
police officers and officers from other minority ethnic and faith
groups, illustrates the community's desire to ensure Muslims
offices and staff play a central part in dealing with terrorism.
Muslim Police Officers join the service in order
to serve and protect the entire community. The NAMP believes that
given the specialist community knowledge of some Muslim Officers
that the police service and Counter Terrorism Commands could deploy
Muslim Officers more effectively.
The NAMP has anxiety about the message given
out to both Muslim Officers and the Muslim community given recent
reports of the treatment of individual officers working in sensitive
operational areas. This was exemplified by the cases of Muslim
Officers whose security vetting has been removed. These incidents
widely reported in 2006. A BBC report claimed an officer was told
he posed a threat to national security as his children had attended
a mosque where a Muslim cleric linked to a suspected terrorist
group also attended.3
The NAMP believes that incidents like this do
further harm to the existing levels of mistrust held by the Muslim
community towards the police. Members of the NAMP believe that
police services need to work with all communities in order to
combat extremism together. Part of this process is to reassure
communities and build trust and confidence. This process would
be eased with the use of more Muslim Officers in counter-terror
operations.
2.3 Reform of security vetting system is required
The present system of security vetting needs
to be modernised to incorporate the both the wider Black and Minority
Ethnic and religious minority communities in the United Kingdom.
NAMP believes the present vetting system restricts the potential
use of BME officers and staff to join counter terrorism commands
because verification of officer's history in countries like Pakistan
takes longer to complete and may not be verified to the satisfaction
of United Kingdom and wider world security services. The NAMP
would appreciate a reform of the vetting system to ensure that
BME communities are not indirectly discriminated against.
The NAMP believes the current vetting system
is putting obstacles in the way of recruiting and promotion of
BME officers. This may result in low morale and feelings of structural
obstacles to promotion, which will have an adverse effect on retention.
Furthermore, it is likely to impact on the operational ability
of the police service and its capabilities within counter-terrorism
operations.
2.4 Under-reporting of faith hate crime
The NAMP believes that Islamophobia and indeed
all faith hate crime is under reported. We would welcome the opportunity
of a scrutiny of hate crime data to establish the accuracy of
faith hate crime reporting. The Muslim Safety Forum and the MPS
Association of Muslim Police are examining data collection of
hate crime and potential improvements in collection and examination
of data.
At present, the Forum Against Islamophobia and
Racism (FAIR) and the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHCR),
voluntary organisations, collect data on hate crimes targeted
at Muslims. However, these organisations rely on individuals'
self-reporting as a means of collating information. Their findings
show a substantial increase in hate crimes towards Muslims since
7 July 2005, and this trend has not abated since. This suggests
that the animosity towards Muslims gathered momentum in the aftermath
of the London bombings and continues to be expressed in terms
of verbal and/or physical violence and intimidation. These findings
are in line with findings from the EUMC (European Monitoring Centre
on Racism and Xenophobia, 2005) that shows the Metropolitan Police
Service recorded a sharp increase in faith-related hate crimes,
including verbal and physical assaults following the bombings
of 7 July 2005.4
Figures for 2005-06 show 43 cases of religiously
aggravated crimes (up from a total of 18 cases in the period between
December 2001 and March 2003). Of these 43 cases, the victims'
religious identities were unknown or not stated in 21 incidents;
of the remaining 22 incidents, the overwhelming majority of victims
were Muslims (18). The remainder were Christians (3) and Sikh
(1), (CPS, 2006: 45).5
Most racist and faith hate incidents are not
reported to police. In September 2005, in a representative sample
of over a 1,000 people in Greater London, a MORI poll6 found that
only 11% of those who had experienced a racist incident reported
it to the police. The following statements received the most support
for encouraging reporting such incidents:
(a) "Knowing that it would make a difference"
(25%);
(b) "If people had confidence in the
police being more supportive of Black and minority ethnic groups"
(21%); and
(c) "Knowing that the police would take
you seriously" (20%).
The NAMP believes this extends to the reporting
of faith hate crime and highlights the amount of work to be done
in rebuilding trust in the police.
The NAMP recommends that there needs to be a
more systematic and uniform approach to the collection of such
data recording faith hate incident. Also, there needs to be more
analysis and research done by police services into the lack of
incidents reported to the police in order to understand and respond
to the lack of confidence in the police that individuals have
in reporting crime. In this way, the NAMP believes that police
services can create a strategy to combat the low levels of hate
crime reporting and rebuild trust in the police within the Muslim
community. Clearly, the lack of confidence in police powers is
not restricted to the Muslim community alone though given the
scrutiny that the Muslim community in under it is essential that
confidence in the police is evident within the Muslim communities
that they serve.
2.5 Utilise Muslim Officers in developing
community cohesion projects on the ground
NAMP is keen to utilise Muslim officers and
staff to develop social cohesion projects focusing on mentoring.
The police service must value the important skills Muslim officers
and staff bring to the police service. The Metropolitan Police
branch of the NAMP worked in partnership with the Atlee Youth
Centre in Tower Hamlets in a pilot-mentoring scheme for Muslim
young people.
Current legislation and policies that place
emphasis on counter-terror measures including increased stop and
searches have undermined the trust of the communities in the police.
(Open Society Institute, 2005).7 (Following the Anti-Terrorism
Act of 2002, the numbers of stop and search on the White community
increased by 118%, and correspondingly there was an increase of
302% in the stop and searches of Asians (Home Office 2003)).8
Skilled Muslim officers should be utilised in
an attempt to regain the confidence of the Muslim community. There
are a multitude of successful mentoring schemes targeted at BME
communities, many of which pair professionals with young people.
The majority of these schemes focus on developing academic and
employment skills. The success of these schemes highlights the
readiness and need of individuals to be involved as mentors and
mentees. In order for policing to be successful and trust to be
regained, communities need to be aware of the police fulfilling
roles that are not simply about casting suspicion, arresting and
detaining individuals. Providing a Muslim-led mentoring facility
will increase the awareness of Muslims in the police force, and
allow young people to identify with the police in a way that is
currently lacking. The NAMP believes that Muslim Police officers
working with other professionals can provide good community role
models in order to encourage the process of integration and cohesion
in society.
Given that a major focus of counter-terror initiatives
is on British-born /raised Muslims, it is imperative that police
services positively engage with Muslim youth. The NAMP believes
that there is a need to seriously ensure that "hearts and
minds" are won over within communities and that through the
process of outreach feelings of alienation and isolation can be
avoided. Current levels of mistrust and feelings of being targeted
by the police9 amongst young British Muslims will be best addressed
through direct communication. Young people are likely to be more
receptive to messages coming to them from people that they already
identify with such as those with similar ethnic or faith backgrounds.
The NAMP believes that Muslim Officers will
be effective in community outreach and provide good role models.
The NAMP would welcome more support for these forms of outreach
programmes.
Police-led community cohesion programmes build
working relations within communities and can act as a conduit
for future recruitment. The NAMP believes this is the only way
to ensure that there is a better level of recruitment amongst
BME and minority faith communities. This is the only way to build
a police service which has serving officers that reflect the diverse
make-up of the population that it serves.
2.6 Under-representation of BME and minority
faith communities within the police service
Only 3.9% of the police service is from the
BME communities and 95% of those are in the most junior ranks.
The police service middle management and senior management does
not reflect society the police serves particularly in metropolitan
areas eg the population of London is 32.5% BME (GLA DMAG Projection10)
and only 8% of MPS officers are BME. We estimate there are 300
Muslim officers in the MPS.
In 1981 Lord Scarman's report on the Brixton
uprising stated that "there is widespread agreement that
the composition of our police forces must reflect the make-up
of the society they serve" and emphasised that "A police
force which fails to reflect the ethnic diversity of our society
will never succeed in securing the full support of all its sections"
(Scarman, 1981:76).11 Over a quarter of a century later, even
with increasing recruitment rates, and recognition of the recommendations
of the Macpherson Report12 we are nowhere near to having a representative
police force on the grounds of ethnicity or religion.
The NAMP believes that whilst the use of independent
advisors to the police serves a purpose, it is in no way an adequate
alternative to recruiting police officers that reflect the society
that they serve. In the long-term the only way of ensuring confidence
in the police forces is by ensuring better recruitment from minority
recruitments. This has been evidenced by the reforms to the Northern
Ireland Police Service.
The NAMP aims to help rectify the current situation
by ensuring that a strong membership body supports the increased
recruitment, retention and progression of Muslim police officers
and staff. This will be achieved by providing support for existing
NAMP member and assisting both Muslim and non-Muslim Police Officers
in outreach in order to rebuild trust in the community.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS
In summary, the NAMP recommends that:
(a) Police services should monitor and record
the faith of staff routinely.
(b) The increased use of Muslim Police Officers
in Counter Terrorism Command in order to improve security operations.
(c) The current security vetting system be
overhauled so as to enable BME and minority faith officers to
serve in Counter Terrorism Command. This should be done in order
ensure that there is effective recruitment of police into this
area of operations.
(d) There needs to be a more systematic and
uniform approach to the collection of such data recording faith
hate incident and an research into the reasons for low reporting
levels.
(e) Muslim officers should be utilised in
an attempt to regain the confidence of the Muslim community through
the use of outreach, community cohesion and youth mentoring projects.
(f) Better recruitment and retention of Officers
from BME and minority faith community backgrounds will help to
build a police force that reflects the society that it serves
and improves confidence and trust within BME and minority communities
in general and specifically within Muslim communities.
REFERENCES
1 National Census 2001 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/commentaries/ethnicity.asp
accessed 17/11/07
2 O'Beirne, 2001 Religion in England and Wales,
p 8.
3 Muslim Police Officer Suing Met, 2006,
BBC News 7 November 2006,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6123472.stm accessed
17/11/07.
4 European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia,
2005, The Impact of 7 July 2005 London Bomb Attacks on Muslim
Communities in the EU
http://fra.europa.eu/fra/material/pub/London/London-Bomb-attacks-EN.pdf
accessed 17/11/07.
5 Crown Prosecution Service, 2006, Racist
and Religious Incident Monitoring.
6 Full results of the poll at: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/consultation/docs/sep05_poll.pdf
accessed 17/11/07.
7 British Muslims
and the Criminal Justice System. 2005, Open Society Institute.
8 Rise in Police Searches of Asians, 2004
BBC News, 2 July 2004.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3859023.stm accessed
17/11/07.
9 Interview with the Chairman of the Islamic
Human Rights Commission, March 2004, London. Interview with Rashid
Skinner, Muslim community representative, March 2004, Bradford.
10 Greater London Authority Data Management and
Analysis Group, 2007, GLA 2006 Round Ethnic Group Projections
www.london.gov.uk/gla/publications/factsandfigures/DMAG-Briefing-2007-14-2006.pdf.
The 2001 Census put the BME population at 29%.
11 Scarman, 1981, The Brixton disorders 10-12
April 1981.
12 Macpherson, 1999, Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
November 2007
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