West Mercia Police Admits to Racism and Misogyny Within the Force

West Mercia Chief Constable Pippa Mills has acknowledged that racism, misogyny, discrimination, and bias still exist within her police force, despite efforts to address these issues. This admission comes in light of the Casey Report's revelations about the Metropolitan Police, which highlighted racism, misogyny, and homophobia within London's police force. The West Mercia Police force covers Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, and Ms. Mills stated that action is being taken to ensure the force is the "best it can be." However, she acknowledged that eight officers have been sacked in the past year for misconduct related to these issues.

Key Takeaways:

• West Mercia Police has a commitment to change and improvement, with a focus on rooting out corruption and addressing racism, misogyny, and homophobia.
• In the past 12 months, eight officers have been dismissed for behavior that fell below professional standards, including racism, misogyny, and homophobia.
• The force is strengthening its anti-corruption unit, increasing proactive intelligence gathering, and improving the speed at which it identifies and removes officers who have engaged in misconduct.
• West Mercia Police has added "inclusivity" to its force values, with a focus on addressing harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
• The force is prioritizing improving trust and confidence among women and girls, particularly in tackling male-perpetrated violence against women and girls.
• The force encourages its workforce to call out misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and discriminatory behavior.

Statistics:

• 8 officers have been sacked in the past 12 months for misconduct related to racism, misogyny, and homophobia.
• The force has strengthened its anti-corruption unit and is increasing proactive intelligence gathering.
• West Mercia Police has improved the speed at which it identifies and removes officers who have engaged in misconduct.

Sources:

• "West Mercia Police Admits to Racism and Misogyny Within the Force" - News Reporter, WEST Mercia Police's top cop has admitted racism, misogyny, discrimination and bias still exist within her force.
• West Mercia Chief Constable Pippa Mills' statement, "I want to reassure you of the action being taken by West Mercia Police to ensure we are the best we can be for you, for victims and survivors and for our officers, staff and volunteers." (Audio or video recording of the statement)