Police: Race Relations Policies

Baroness Afshar Excerpts

Monday 30th April 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Henley]

My Lords, I fully agree with the noble Lord. Training is very important but it is also important to make sure that recruitment and retention continue so that all police forces can represent the appropriate diversity of their individual areas. That is the important thing: to make sure that they can then continue to police their area with the proper consent of those being policed.

[Baroness Afshar]

My Lords, in the current atmosphere of Islamophobia, could we have an assurance that race includes religion? It seems to me that Muslims are becoming disproportionately targeted. They are of many races and can come in all colours and shades, but because of their religion they are being singled out.

[Lord Henley]

My Lords, the noble Baroness makes a very valid point and one that I am sure is taken into account in initial and all further ongoing training.