London, racist police shock investigation of the BBC

LONDON – Seven suspended agents and a storm on the police: this is the result of a BBC documentary on racism in her Majesty’s police force aired last night.

Made with the help of a hidden camera by an English public television reporter, the program clearly shows the plague of racism in British law enforcement. The word “Negro” used regularly as well as the derogatory Paki for Pakistani immigrants. And then other racist comments up to Hitler’s apology. On one occasion, an agent even personified a Ku Klux Klan member with an improvised hood.

A so widespread racism that the British police forces and the Interior Ministry have already declared to be upset and embittered by the content of the documentary, entitled “The secret policeman”. “What I saw shocked, embarrassed and saddened me,” Manchester City’s deputy police chief Alan Green told BBC 4.

Not surprisingly, five of the seven suspended police officers (four before the documentary aired and three after the broadcast) are part of the Manchester police force. The city police, Green continued, “has made great strides” to improve the situation, but “has not done enough and has to do more”.

October 22, 2003