Latest news with #AndyGeorge
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Tough conversations' to help Suffolk police improve diversity
Police officers from minority ethnic backgrounds have held an open community meeting to try and address under-representation in the of the Suffolk Ethnic Police Association (SEPA) spoke with a group in Ipswich at the Hive Community Centre on Norwich Road, one of the town's most diverse Police has more than 1,200 officers, of which fewer than 40 are either black, Asian or mixed entrepreneur Donovan Charles Lansiquot attended the meeting and said: "I think ethnic minority groups definitely need to touch base with the police so we can gain a stronger understanding of how we can actually develop a better community." He added: "We need to learn how to do that and have these tough conversations." Andy George, chair of the National Black Police Association, came to the meeting to support the Suffolk told BBC Radio Suffolk: "Whenever you see an officer of colour in uniform, for the community, they suddenly feel a connection to the police that maybe wasn't there before. "I have had lots of racism within policing, but it's still a career that I would do. "I joined policing to help other people, having been bullied at school, having people racially abuse me when I was younger."Unfortunately [policing] tends to attract other people that maybe the uniform amplifies some of the negative qualities that they have. "But I would certainly do it again and I think more and more people like me, like our membership, needs to be within policing and to really change the fabric and culture within policing." The group discussed issues of trust in the police, the lack of youth centres and how to show officers from minority backgrounds as role models, as well as broader challenges of funding for community work, the pressure on young people to join gangs and issues of racism within the police Thomas, chair of SEPA, said it was "really positive, with lots of inspiration from the community"."We're coming back in three months, just to have an interim talk about what's happened, then in six months time we're coming back, we'll do it again and hopefully it'll be bigger," he said."Then this will be taken across to other towns in Suffolk with SEPA continuing to bridge that gap with the community." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
National Black Police Association chief ‘vindicated' over social media post
The head of the National Black Police Association has been 'vindicated' following an investigation into a social media post. Andy George was placed under investigation following a post on X about a police officer in London who was cleared of murder in 2024, and following his acquittal was promoted. He made a comment about the 'disproportionate number of black officers under investigation for misconduct and being held back in their own careers'. On Wednesday, Police Service of Northern Ireland deputy chief constable Bobby Singleton said a investigation was started after an 'outside remit' referral from the Office of the Police Ombudsman. He said an internal misconduct investigation 'has now concluded determining there was no misconduct in this case'. Mr George's solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, confirmed he had been informed that PSNI internal misconduct proceedings have concluded there was no misconduct. 'We are pleased to see vindication for our client in this determination,' he said. 'However we are disappointed to note that he will be the subject of so called 'management action' meaning he will have a conversation with his line manager. 'That discussion will include the issue of the posting allegedly stirring up division. 'We don't think that is a proportionate out-working to the nature of the complaint made here. 'He absolutely rejects any such allegation. For now Mr George is satisfied that he has been exonerated.' In a statement, Mr Singleton said police officers, like all citizens, have the right to freedom of speech but it is recognised that for police officers that must be limited 'owing to the unique role with which we are entrusted in society and the need to maintain public confidence, impartiality and professional standards'. 'Cases which require an assessment of the balance between the rights of the individual and the limitations placed on police officers will almost inevitably always require at least some degree of investigation and objective assessment,' he said. 'Importantly, commencement of an investigation is not a final determination as to whether there has or hasn't been misconduct. 'It is simply the start of due process. All referrals from the Office of the Police Ombudsman that originate from a member of the public are required to be reviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland – that obligation extends to complaints relating to officers located in Northern Ireland and those officers that are seconded to other police forces under the direction of the Chief Constable.'
Telegraph
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The state isn't the only threat to free speech: the workplace is, too
One of the major battlefronts in regards to freedom of expression is how much the principle should apply in the workplace. A common line one hears is that freedom of speech is a legal concept that strictly protects citizens from the persecution of the government for expressing their opinions; it does not apply to private organisations or public institutions who have their own autonomous codes of conducts that govern what their employees are permitted to say publicly on social media. But let us consider Chief Inspector Andy George, the president of the National Black Police Association, who has just been placed under a misconduct investigation for a tweet he sent in November. George took issue with the promotion of Martyn Blake, the firearms officer who was cleared by a jury of murder after shooting dead Chris Kaba on September 5 2022, from inspector to sergeant. George, himself a former firearms officer, suggested black and Asian police officers are more likely to face misconduct allegations and to be punished for the same actions as Blake. Now, maybe George is wrong. There are reasons to think his point might be unreasonable. The existence of a racial disparity doesn't necessarily mean that the cause of it is racism. Perhaps the Martyn Blake case wasn't the best point of comparison for his point. But freedom of speech has never been about protecting the 'right' opinion and punishing the 'wrong' one. Part of the principle of freedom of speech is precisely the right to be wrong, even 'offensive', without being sanctioned for it. Indeed, George is correct to say that this sends a 'chilling message' and 'stifles free speech'. Regardless of whether George is right or not in his views on the police and race, the issue of racism in the police force is a matter of public interest, particularly as in this country the police are supposed to serve the public, not the state. Therefore, it can only be properly faced if all views and perspectives can be aired and face off against each other without fear. Even if a view is wrong, it might still contain a grain of truth that society has to take into consideration. This issue is too serious for sanctioning dissent. It is a plain fact that if you are employed at a corporation or a public institution, your free speech rights are often left at the door. It is naive to believe that the government is the only threat to an individual's free speech. Corporations and public institutions also hold a lot of power. If you dissent from the dominant view then you risk losing your livelihood. This is a matter that affects all of us. If we can't defend Andy George's free speech when he is 'wrong' this time, then we might be powerless next time in defending the person who is right from being censored by their employer.
