Police’s apology for historic abuse is appreciated

✒ DEVON and Cornwall’s Acting Chief Constable, Jim Colwell, has made a formal apology to the LGBT+ community, acknowledging past homophobic witch-hunts and discriminatory law enforcement.

The Chief Constable’s full letter can be read at https:// www.petertatchellfoundation.org/wp-content/ uploads/2024/03/Letter-toPeter-Tatchell-FoundationDevon.pdf

Colwell is the 15th UK police chief to apologise, following similar apologies by the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Gwent, Avon and Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, West Mercia, North Yorkshire, Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire forces.

His apology is in response to the #ApologiseNow campaign initiated by the Peter Tatchell Foundation. The campaign was backed by comedian and TV presenter Paul O’Grady before his untimely passing.

I feel immense gratitude to Jim Colwell for his forthright apology to the LGBT+ community on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police, and for the positive, supportive and inclusive LGBT+ policies he set out in his letter to me. Some people in power find it hard to say sorry for past wrongs. Jim Colwell didn’t hesitate or evade the need for a clear apology. That marks him out as a commendable police chief. We thank him and his officers.

This apology does Devon and Cornwall Police proud and will win much appreciation and praise from the LGBT+ community. It will go a long way towards securing a more constructive, collaborative relationship between Devon and Cornwall Police and LGBT+ people, further building trust and co-operation.

Saying ‘Sorry’ helps draw a line under past police homophobia. It’s a laudable continuation of the great work the police have been doing in recent years. I hope it will inspire more LGBTs to report hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual assaults, which is what we all want.

The Peter Tatchell Foundation continues to urge every Chief Constable in the UK to apologise for their force’s homophobic persecution in decades past. We continue to chase the remaining 30 police forces that have not said sorry.

The #ApologiseNow petition can be read and signed at apologisenow.com

Peter Tatchell Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation