British City Police Hiring Process: Whites Need Not Apply

The West Yorkshire Police’s “Race Action Plan,” as described in the foreword by Chief Constable John Robins, is a “strategy” to “improve policing for Black people.” The localized plan, heavily drawn from the national plan developed by the National Police Chief’s Council and the College of Policing, seeks “an anti-racist culture” in policing and aims to develop “a police service that is anti-racist and trusted by Black people.” The express commitments, taken from the national plan, include “zero tolerance of racism in policing,” “an ‘explain or reform’ approach to address the negative impact and outcomes experienced by Black people,” an understanding of “the history of policing Black people and the ongoing impact and trauma of disproportionality,” and a “representative workforce.” To improve its “internal culture,” the West Yorkshire Police pledged to develop a “bespoke Black history and anti-racism curriculum” and review the “initiatives available to officers and staff that measurably improve recruitment and progression of Black and Black heritage officers and staff.”

The West Yorkshire Police certainly pursued diversifying its workforce — in part by effectively plastering a whites-need-not-apply sign on its door. The Telegraph reports that the “West Yorkshire Police (WYP) is currently preventing white British candidates from applying for jobs as recruits to its police constable entry programmes,” while “‘under-represented’ groups can lodge their applications early.” An internal report to senior officers, shared with The Telegraph by a whistleblower, states the following: “This feeds into a general theme where the pipeline for anyone white British is strangled, whilst anyone not white British is ushered through onto the next available stage.”

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Abigail Anthony

Abigail Anthony is a staff writer at National Review.

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The West Yorkshire Police’s “Race Action Plan,” as described in the foreword by Chief Constable John Robins, is a “strategy” to “improve policing for Black people.” The localized plan, heavily drawn from the national plan developed by the National Police Chief’s Council and the College of Policing, seeks “an anti-racist culture” in policing and aims to develop “a police service that is anti-racist and trusted by Black people.” The express commitments, taken from the national plan, include “zero tolerance of racism in policing,” “an ‘explain or reform’ approach to address the negative impact and outcomes experienced by Black people,” an understanding of “the history of policing Black people and the ongoing impact and trauma of disproportionality,” and a “representative workforce.” To improve its “internal culture,” the West Yorkshire Police pledged to develop a “bespoke Black history and anti-racism curriculum” and review the “initiatives available to officers and staff that measurably improve recruitment and progression of Black and Black heritage officers and staff.”

The West Yorkshire Police certainly pursued diversifying its workforce — in part by effectively plastering a whites-need-not-apply sign on its door. The Telegraph reports that the “West Yorkshire Police (WYP) is currently preventing white British candidates from applying for jobs as recruits to its police constable entry programmes,” while “‘under-represented’ groups can lodge their applications early.” An internal report to senior officers, shared with The Telegraph by a whistleblower, states the following: “This feeds into a general theme where the pipeline for anyone white British is strangled, whilst anyone not white British is ushered through onto the next available stage.”