The Police Service’s Strategic Community Engagement Team (SCET) hosted a Reference, Engagement and Listening (REaL) Event at the Ulster University Campus in Belfast on 08 September 2023 with representatives from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities from across Northern Ireland. The event centred on focus group discussions linked to each of the five pillars contained within the ‘Here for You’ Engagement Vision, namely attraction and recruitment, engagement, neighbourhood policing, procedural fairness and local accountability.
The organisations in attendance were African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI), All Nations Ministries, Ards and North Down Intercultural Forum, ArtsEkta, Belfast City Council, Belfast City of Sanctuary, Belfast Islamic Centre, Belfast Multi-Cultural Association (BMCA), Black and Minority Ethnic Women’s Network, BOMOKO NI, British Red Cross, Chinese Welfare Association, Community Restorative Justice Ireland (Traveller Project), Darfur NI, Forward South, ImageNation, Jewish Community Executive Council, Migrant Centre, Rainbow Refugees, Roma Support Hub, Timorese Association Inclusive Support (TAIS), TEO’s Racial Equality Subgroup and Wah Hep. The Police Service’s Ethnic Minority Police Association also joined the meeting.
Policing Board members Mukesh Sharma MBE DL and Janet Gray MBE also joined the event to provide an overview of the attraction and recruitment and procedural fairness pillars. Colleagues from the Board also provided input on the work of Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PSCPs) around the local accountability pillar with Superintendent Joanne Gibson and Inspector Paddy Mullan leading a plenary session allowing for feedback on all issues.
This summary document is intended to capture some of the important highlights and potential solutions discussed across the focus groups and plenary session. In broad terms, feedback from attendees at the event indicated that the five pillars contained within the ‘Here for You’ Vision are of particular relevance to the BAME community. Each of the five pillars are explored further below spanning a range of interlinking themes and potential ways to improve trust and confidence, including:
- Ways to address hate crime were raised consistently with a range of good and bad responses by the PSNI being highlighted;
- Improving Police engagement with young people with plans to link in with a number of groups for a further REaL event with young people in October 2023.
Attraction and Recruitment Pillar
Challenges
- Concerns across the groups highlighted the lack of visible diversity within the PSNI with one group stating “if you don’t see someone from your community in that role, you don’t aspire to it”. The approach by the PSNI during active recruitment campaigns is often viewed as a formality with approaches to community groups not being made early enough. One attendee stated “if you’re going to attract a diverse service then come to us at least 4/6 months in advance before the recruitment drive so it doesn’t just look like box ticking”.
- The culture within the Police Service is perceived as a barrier as it is not viewed as welcoming to diverse communities as people “need to be able to express their identity within the PSNI”. The PSNI’s focus on the main two communities (CNR/PUL) was also highlighted as a concern with the perception around inaction on Hate Crime and lack of victim updates being highlighted.
- In addition, some cultures are likely to promote other careers for young people, such as doctors and lawyers, which are seen as more professional rather than policing with the low salary for Constables contributing to this. Requirements around the English Language can also be a barrier to joining the PSNI and therefore a focus on second or third generation communities and young people is particularly important.
- The security risk associated with joining the PSNI was also highlighted as a barrier to recruiting from the BAME community with the organisational data loss in August 2022 being highlighted as a significant issue. One attendee remarked that “after the leak I considered not coming here. If someone took photos would my face be on social media?”
Potential Solutions
- The Police Service continues with the development of a bespoke Race Action Plan for Northern Ireland. It will identify a number of priorities for action aligned to four key outcomes, including plans to ‘develop a representative workforce and have an inclusive culture’. At present 0.62% of Police Officers and 0.74% of Police Staff are from an ethnic minority background (01/09/23); the percentage of ethnic minority applicants to the last three Student Officer recruitment campaigns was 2.3% in 2021, 2.3% in 2020 and 2% in 2018. The Race Action Plan will seek to improve on these figures for the longer term and will highlight clear career paths with opportunities for promotion supported by mentoring frameworks. It will be subject to further consultation with BAME communities in the coming months and SCET will update attendees on the timeline for this as soon as possible.
- The Service is currently conducting an internal cultural audit with a ‘Your Service, Your Voice’ organisation wide survey undertaken in recent months to help understand the experiences of those working within the Service today. The survey had a final response rate of over 45 per cent which is the highest of any employee survey undertaken in recent years with a series of workshops and 121 interviews also taking place with Staff and Officers. This will provide a wide range of information and SCET will be able to provide an update to attendees on the outcome of this work on themes relevant to the BAME community later in 2023.
- In addition, the Service recognises the unique challenges facing Officers and Staff from a BAME background following the significant organisational data loss in August 2022; the safety and welfare of Officers and Staff remains the Police Service’s top priority and the matter is also now the subject of an ongoing independent review which is being led by Assistant Commissioner Pete O’Doherty, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead officer for Information Assurance. Learning from this report is likely to be available in the coming weeks and the SCET can provide attendees with an update on this in due course. The team will also work with groups to consider ways in which to understand the potential longer term impact on attraction and recruitment due to the data breach.
- The current challenging financial position for the organisation will result in some very stark choices around service delivery in the coming months; the Service will be unable to undertake officer recruitment for some time but there may still be some opportunities around staff recruitment for specialist posts. However, despite these difficulties the Service remains committed to engagement with young people, particularly from BAME communities. The Service launched a new Children and Young People Strategy in June 2023 and engagement under this continues with another REaL Event taking place in October 2023.
Engagement Pillar
Challenges
- Engagement with the Police Service was broadly described by a number of the focus groups in a positive fashion with one attendee highlighting that “we have found them to be understanding and caring”; there were references to North Belfast in particular being highlighted as “very good at preventing issues”. It was also highlighted that Policing is viewed through a global lens with incidents from across the world impacting on confidence locally. It was recognised that consistently engaging with BAME communities is key to helping address any issues.
- Visible policing was also recognised as being important with one attendee highlighting “it’s great when police are visible” but that there was a perception that engagement was missing at the strategic level. Attendees also described the wider movement of Officers and Staff making it difficult to maintain relationships. They highlighted that engagement is often personality driven and dependent on Police and communities working together.
- The cultural competence of Police Officers was also highlighted as important as “in the engagement we have it’s about who you get on that day and how much understanding they have of your culture. Some officers have not grown up with different cultures.” This was also highlighted in other areas where having an “understanding of culture such as prayer times and days should be included in any planning around engagement”. The Police uniform was consistently highlighted as a barrier to engagement with the community.
- Lack of interpreters and language barriers were highlighted as a challenge to engagement with the BAME community and this exacerbates the issues already embedded in many migrant communities who have had difficult experiences with Police from their home countries. A fear of being deported was expressed as a challenge for some in engaging with the Police with one person highlighting “when reporting an incident we are asked for nationality when there is no requirement to” and “it’s disappointing that you ask for passport details. This should be irrelevant… you are not immigration Police”.
Potential Solutions
- Engagement is a central focus within the new Local Policing Plans recently developed by District Commanders, alongside Policing and Community Safety Partnerships, in line with the Northern Ireland Policing Plan 2020-2025. In addition, other points around ensuring appropriate handovers when Officers move on to other roles within the organisation to be progressed by Districts. However, it is worth noting that there is likely to be reduced staff turnover throughout the latter part of 2023 and beyond due to the current financial position.
- Workshops with groups from minority communities were highlighted as one method that could be used to build confidence across the community. In addition, the SCET is also building a programme of cultural awareness sessions for Area Coordinators and District Commanders in order to facilitate networking and learning around the increasingly diverse communities in Northern Ireland which will also aid in improved service delivery for the longer term. SCET would welcome suggestions from attendees around the scope of any future events with organisations representing the BAME community.
Procedural Fairness
Challenges
- Stop and search was highlighted as a concern although there was recognition from some community representatives that they had heard of the issues but not directly experienced or witnessed them. A view was expressed that communities feel that Police use these powers to target certain groups, such as Travellers.
- One group highlighted how their perception of procedural fairness by the PSNI had improved as “in the past procedural fairness was not very good and there has been more engagement since BLM… but there is ongoing work to do”. Another attendee said “it is important Police challenge us, police seem to be fearful of challenging, pushing back. They think it is dangerous but it will bring long-term confidence”.
- A lack of understanding of the wider justice system was highlighted as a challenge with one individual stating that “when someone gets arrested, can you at least tell the person what has happened, especially people who have just arrived in the country, who don’t know the system or the way things work”. Communities feel that there is a void in terms of getting information and this can cause concern if they are unable to get any information around an arrest. This also follows a number of groups highlighting that follow up contact with victims and witnesses who report incidents can be poor. In addition, engagement by Police that educates minority communities on local laws was highlighted as being beneficial.
- There was some concern that minority groups “don’t feel listened to” as the PSNI focuses on the two main communities (PUL/CNR). The theme of being listened to was highlighted by almost all the groups at various stages during the focus groups. Training for Officers and Staff was highlighted as being a necessity to ensure PSNI can be culturally competent when using their powers. As highlighted elsewhere, this included having an awareness of prayer times and days of significance that required a more sensitive approach. A number of groups outlined the importance of robust misconduct procedures where racism is found to have been a motivating factor in the individual actions of a minority of Officers. One attendee stated “it is about how police communicate and conduct themselves professionally, showing fairness and not bias”.
Potential Solutions
- The Police Service developed the ‘Here for You’ Public Engagement Vision in 2022 to ensure a consistent standard of provision across the five pillars for all communities. SCET will develop further REaL events in conjunction with the BAME community. The Service commits that these will take place at a strategic level every six months at a minimum. These will focus on a range of the issues and will be thematic with the potential to look beyond the five ‘Here for You’ pillars and examine specific issues impacting the community and other policy matters, significant incidents and police procedures where appropriate. This will provide a strategic forum for people from across the community to come together and have a positive influence on procedural issues across the Service.
- The Service’s Race Action Plan will also seek to address this area as one of the outcomes will focus on adopting an ‘explain or reform’ approach in our use of Police powers. Work is ongoing around objectives which will see the Service identify and address disproportionality in the use of stop and search, particularly in relation to drugs. The Plan will be subject to further consultation with BAME communities in the coming months and SCET will update attendees on the timeline for this as soon as possible.
- In addition, the organisational use of policing powers is monitored by the Service Accountability Panel chaired by ACC Operational Support Department which also has its own Independent Advisory Group with external representation to scrutinise matters such as stop and search. The Police Service’s expectation is that Officers and Staff exercise powers and deliver services impartially, regardless of community background; this is a core value of policing acknowledged within our Code of Ethics and Competency and Values Framework. The Service is also working to address the recommendations made by the Independent Reviewer of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 relating to the impact of stop and search activity, including around the introduction of community background monitoring by the Service in the coming months. Further consultation will take place with the communities in advance of this.
Local Accountability
Challenges
- Concerns were raised again around a lack of understanding of Police processes and local laws which limits the ability of minority communities to hold the PSNI to account for service delivery. In addition, the focus of the PSNI on the two largest communities in Northern Ireland (CNR/PUL) makes it difficult for minority communities to be heard.
- The separation of communities by groups rather than treating attendees as one diverse community impacts on the ability for all voices to be heard and listened to. There was reference to the need for a more nuanced understanding of intersectionality in any engagement work that the Service is undertaking.
- One group highlighted that there were rarely any good news around Policing and that there should be more of an effort made to show policing in a positive way, For example, the use of social media in South Belfast and engagement through the Nextdoor app.
- Finally, it was highlighted by one group that, “If you are not visible, you cannot help us. We need more workshops – time to listen to us, more than once a year and just: visibility.”
Potential Solutions
- SCET to plan for the roll out of REaL events at District level in order to consult and involve the views of the community on local issues involving District Commanders and other key personnel which will help to further build relationships and improve local accountability.
Neighbourhood Policing
Challenges
- Police getting involved with the community was highlighted as a good example of neighbourhood policing preventing potential issues from occurring or escalating. North Belfast was highlighted as a good example where “the Police play sports with the young people and after they have talks about crime and advise us of certain things. Some of the female officers will come and tell them about their careers and they have done one on one chats with people about any issues they are having. We have seen a lot of change in our community and they have the confidence in the Belfast Police Service being a service and not a force and, honestly, they are a blessing”.
- Lack of continuity and high turnover makes building relationships challenging and effective neighbourhood policing can be “personality led”. Some groups referenced a lack of consistency in engagement between rural and urban areas. One attendee stated that “Dunmurry NPT 10 years ago really worked but once it was disbanded we instantly noticed a deterioration in engagement”.
- There was a desire to see Police “on the ground” more with local workshops being hosted that facilitates engagement with communities. However, there was a recognition that current budgetary pressures are negatively impacting on the visibility and accessibility of Neighbourhood Police with one attendee stating that “apart from events and festivals I haven’t see the police. They aren’t very visible. People only call police when there’s a problem”. Continuous engagement was emphasised as being vital and not just “showing up when something is wrong” with another attendee highlighting that “there should be more focus groups to hear what problems there are.”
Potential Solutions
- The difficult budgetary situation facing the organisation presents challenges in terms of developing further specific training in the short to medium term. However, the eight Neighbourhood Policing Hallmarks launched in 2022 also provide a benchmark for consistent service delivery across NI. A new Neighbourhood Policing Faculty is also in development through the Police College at Garnerville to be launched later in 2023 which will place an enhanced focus on training around this important specialism.
- The Service is continuing to develop a series of ‘Let’s Talk’ Briefings on topical issues aimed at Neighbourhood Officers and Staff to provide them with key messages they can proactively use in discussions with community groups and members of the public.
- Contact details of the relevant District and Neighbourhood Teams across Northern Ireland can be found here.
Conclusion
The Service welcomes the participation of organisations representing the BAME community and the Northern Ireland Policing Board in the first series of REaL events held by the organisation. The Strategic Community Engagement Team conducted a post-event survey which received eight responses. 88% of respondents rated the Format and Quality of Focus Group Sessions as ‘excellent or very good’. 50% of respondents indicated that the BAME community finds their current experience of engaging with the Police ‘difficult’ with 50% describing it as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’.
100% of respondents described the ‘Here for You’ Engagement Vision Pillars as being relevant to the BAME community and 88% felt that the event was useful for engaging with Police. There were a number of additional comments around further engagement with NPTs and local level REaL events as well as around the attraction and recruitment pillar requiring greater focus in the longer term in order to improve confidence in the Service across the BAME community. 88% of respondents stated that they would attend a future REaL event on another topic and 12% were not sure.
Ethnic Minorities – March 2024 (Update briefing provided to attendees)