32. Memorandum submitted by
New Leaf Education
Please find enclosed a copy of our leaflet about
the Police Recruitment Home Study Programme.
On television yesterday, I watched a meeting
of the Home Affairs Select Committee with Hazel Blears MP which
was held on 26 October 2004.
You will remember that the issues of the recruitment
of women, and people from minority ethnic groups were discussed,
and as you know there is extensive public debate surrounding these
topics. Only last week in Police Review there were articles about
"quotas to boost the number of female officers", and
suggestions of "positive action to help forces meet ethnic
minority staff targets". The reality is that many UK citizens
don't think of themselves as having a separate ethnic origin,
and would be horrified if they were asked to describe it.
But there are two ways of achieving these aims.
One option is to lower the entrance standard
for some or all police officers. However, this would unleash criticism
from those who are always looking for falling standards and lowered
targets, but this time the criticism would be accurate. Many people
have already made up their mind that positive action is unfair,
and when applied to women, minority ethnic groups, and those who
don't have English as their first language, it would fuel accusations
of Political Correctness leading to a "dumbed-down"
police force. This would be a difficult accusation to refute.
Unfortunately, the other option wasn't mentioned.
That is to raise the standard of the applicant's performance through
preparation for the entry tests. People believe in education,
and the public understand and support individuals who work hard
for the job they want. Education is where most people place their
hopes for the future. It is inspirational, powerful, fair, popular
and demonstrably achievable, and, as you will see from the testimonials
enclosed, we have many years experience of preparing people for
the police recruitment process, and speak to many hundreds of
aspiring police officers every year.
The real problem is that many women and people
from minority ethnic groups cannot afford to join a course which
teaches them how to develop the skills they need at a police assessment
centre.
The solution is for the Home Office to provide
financial support for these people.
This is not perhaps as innovative as it sounds
as it helps to deliver part of the National Policing Plan 2004-07,
and is in line with suggestions made in the Lawrence Steering
Group's "Dismantling Barriers" Action Plan. The MoD
support forces' personnel, through their resettlement scheme.
And encouraging Lifelong Learning is an important Government commitment.
Our programme has a proven track record, and
everyone who completes the work is called to a police assessment
centre to demonstrate the skills they have developed.
I can assure you that all public spirited people,
keen to serve the community as police officers, don't want to
be thought of as part of a quota, or target. All they need is
a little help and encouragement to prepare to meet the standards
of the recently updated police recruitment procedure.
Geoff Babirecki
Partner
5 November 2004
| 
