Police ‘challenges’ in region as anger over US killing spreads
Top officer says force needs to recruit more black men
WEST Midlands Police are braced for the “challenge” of keeping the city safe amid protests and anger in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Ward said officers understood and were prepared for frustration about the killing, coming as it does just as the police locally face a wave of complaints about excess force used against young black men.
A combination of other factors – hot weather and the easing of lockdown restrictions – would also pose “additional challenges” in the coming days and weeks.
But ACC Ward pledged officers would continue to ‘police by consent’ and heed community concerns.
He also said more needed to be done to recruit more young black men to help the force better represent its communities.
ACC Ward said: “I share the shock and anger and frustration felt by many people after watching the video of George Floyd’s death. It did not display at all the policing by consent that I have sought to live and work by.
“We must never forget we police by consent with our community and by our community – and that includes listening to them, and when we make mistakes admitting them. That is how we prevent escalation.” US police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third degree murder over the death of Mr Floyd, which has
America.
The force would “support and facilitate” peaceful protests and vigils connected to the killing, he added.
The West Midlands force is currently facing nine investigations by the independent regulator the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) about excessive force against black men in the city.
ACC Ward said: “Our policing style remains the same – we want to engage with our communities, talk to them, explain what we are doing and the importance of doing so, and encourage them to adhere to the restrictions.
Our job is to engage and
sparked
riots
across to ensure we bring communities with us. Our officers will work with organisers and facilitate protests, and ensure people adhere to social distancing guidelines.”
He said one crucial way to further build trust with the city’s young black community was to recruit more young black men.
“We want to see more young black men join the force. This community is still under represented and we have got to make sure we are truly representing all of our communities by making sure as an organisation we make those opportunities available.”
ACC Ward’s comments echoed those of his boss, Chief Constable Dave Thomson, who wrote in a blog earlier: “Young black people across the West Midlands will rightly feel strongly about these events and the fact they are in the US makes no difference. They affect how policing is seen on our streets.
“A series of incidents (are being investigated) in West Midlands Police where force has been used by a number of officers. The subjects of these incidents were black men. These matters require independent investigation, which should give the community confidence, but they are a backcloth now to events amplified in America.
“Coming out of the Covid restrictions is very hard. A hot weekend has seen many large groups of young people gathering. Staying apart is so much harder for young people at the time they want to mix...we are likely to find ourselves in conflict with young people as we deal with calls and gatherings. This is going to be tough for us.”
West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson urged people with concerns about the police’s use of force to press for answers direct from the Chief Constable.
He said: “In light of some recent incidents, including the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, there have been more calls for tough oversight of the way police officers use their powers.
“Use of force by the police, including use of Taser, is an area of legitimate public concern. Policing inevitably requires officers, on occasion, to secure compliance from individuals who are actively resisting, or protect themselves from assault.”
But he said concerns could be raised and put to senior officers in a public forum as a way to hold them to account.