THEGAYUK

Tag: Police

All the latest breaking news on the police. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on the police.

  • Gay police officers are worried about impact on their career

    Gay and lesbian police officers sometimes fear the consequences of revealing their sexuality as they rise through the ranks, it has been revealed.

    Some senior police officers are worried that coming out may impact on their career prospects and that homophobia still exists within some policing teams.

    At the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales annual conference in September, officers from across the country will discuss encouraging the service to be more accepting of diversity, ensuring gay and lesbian officers who would like to be out can be and the benefits of this to police officers and communities, in a session titled: “Taking the uniform out of the closet.”

    Mike Gallagher, the association’s lead on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) policing, said: ‘It must be emphasised that homophobia is not accepted in policing. The police service has come a long way, as has society, and that has to be acknowledged. But there is more to be done.

    ‘We want colleagues to feel they can be themselves at work. Sadly some police officers and staff are not confident to be out in their police forces, particularly as they rise through the ranks. It is of course a choice – and for some officers it is a conscious decision – but some fear homophobia still exists in areas of policing.

    ‘We need to improve the confidence of some LGBT communities in policing and having role models – senior gay and lesbian police officers being confident and open about their sexuality – would help this.’

    He added: ‘We need a police service that reflects the public we serve – this will help gain trust and confidence in communities but also in fighting crime. And this will also bring a diversity of thinking to the many policing challenges the service currently faces.’

    TWO FIFTHS OF GAY SUPERINTENDENTS EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION
    A survey of senior police officers – carried out by the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales – has revealed four out of 10 lesbian or gay superintendents and chief superintendents say they have “experienced discrimination in the policing workplace” during their careers.

    One respondent to the survey said: ‘Discrimination by some senior officers exists, but it is at a subtle underlying level.’
    Another added: ‘As a senior leader I would love to be openly gay.’

    A total of 27 of the association’s 1,300 members – who include senior operational commanders and leaders delivering local policing, specialist investigations and operations and support services within police forces – took part in the survey.
    Responding to the survey’s findings, Mr Gallagher, a Met officer, added: ‘The fact that 40 per cent of our gay and lesbian members have experienced discrimination in their careers is frustrating and unacceptable.
    ‘It is very disappointing that we are still talking about this as an issue in 2014. We need to do better. And we can.’

    Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, said: ‘Here at Stonewall we know that people perform better when they can be themselves, so it’s fantastic to hear the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales proactively encouraging LGBT employees to be themselves at work while emphasising the fact that homophobia will not be accepted in policing.’

  • Search For Homophobic Ammonia In Face Attacker Continues

    Three men were sprayed with a substance thought to be a highly concentrated ammonia, in an apparent anti-gay attack outside a club in Vauxhall, London.

    The Met police have released stills of a man they wish to question in connection with a violent attack on three men in Vauxhall in the early hours of Sunday, 8th June.

    The attack could leave one of the victims blind.

    Detectives issued CCTV stills of a man and two women they wished to trace after three men were sprayed with a substance, thought to be ammonia, in Vauxhall in the early hours of Sunday, 8 June. The two women have come forward. They have not been arrested.

    The man remains outstanding.

    Detectives have issued CCTV stills of a man and two women they wish to trace after three men were sprayed with a substance, thought to be ammonia, in the early hours of Sunday, 8 June.

    In the first incident, at approximately 0400hrs, the substance was sprayed at two men outside the Lightbox nightclub in South Lambeth Place, Vauxhall. This followed a verbal exchange between the two men and a group outside the venue.

    Following comments made during the exchange, this incident is being treated as a homophobic hate crime.

    A short time later, police were made aware of a third man who had also been sprayed in the face with a substance in the vicinity of the nightclub. No motive is known for this incident.

    All three men were treated at hospital; their injuries are not believed to be serious.

    Officers believe the same man was responsible for both incidents.

    Officers from Lambeth Community Safety Unit are investigating and ask anyone who recognises the man in the images, or has information about the incidents, to contact them on 0208 649 2176 or 07909 906 168.

    There has been no arrest at this stage. Enquiries are continuing.

  • Police in Scotland call for condom ban in Edinburgh saunas

    Police in Edinburgh have called for a ban of ‘all items of a sexual nature’, including condoms in all saunas in Edinburgh, in a move which could put lives at risk.

    Police Scotland want condoms banned from all saunas across the Scottish Capital, including the two gay saunas that are based in the city.

    The story being widely reported is that a number of heterosexual saunas or saunas that are known to have sex workers working there are affected by the potential ban, but speaking to a gay sauna in Edinburgh TheGayUK has discovered that the ban would also have an impact on all gay saunas in Scotland.

    The police set out the contentious plans in a letter which was delivered to the city’s licensing committee, who is deciding on the license renewals on several of the city’s saunas.

    The letter asks the licensing committee to include new licensing conditions, one of which included: “no items of a sexual nature will be permitted on the premises”.

    A Police Scotland spokesman said,

    ‘Police Scotland recently provided reports to the Council Regulatory Committee in respect of a number of public entertainment licence renewals.

    ‘In cases where there was evidence of criminality or premises operating out-with the conditions of their licence, objections were made to those licences being renewed.

    ‘Police Scotland will continue to work with partners to inspect and report on licensed premises operating within Edinburgh in order to keep people safe.

    ‘Whenever criminal activity, or licensing contraventions are detected within these venues, officers will respond appropriately and report all offences to the relevant authority.’

    DRACONIAN

    The call for the ban has put Scotland’s HIV/Aids charities on red alert, with Robert Mckay, the nation director of the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland saying that the idea was ‘Draconian’

    He went on to say:
    ‘We would be keen to see the full details of any proposals that would prevent saunas from having condoms on their premises. Taking away condoms doesn’t stop people from having sex; it does however result in unprotected sex and increased rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. It is vital that people can protect themselves wherever they have sex.’

    ‘Our point of view is to make sure that people are kept safe. Condoms have proved very successful in preventing STDs and HIV transmissions.’

    GAY SAUNA RAIDS

    Earlier in the year Police Scotland raided two gay saunas in Edinburgh, a report lodged by the police stated that:

    ‘One member of staff and six male customers were found within.

    ‘During the inspection, officers found evidence to indicate that the premises were used for activities other than those permitted by the licence, specifically sexual activity.

    ‘On behalf of the Chief Constable, I object to the renewal of the licence under the terms of Schedule 1, Paragraph 5 (3) (d) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 on the grounds that the premises have not been operated in accordance with the activities on their licence.’

  • Reports Of Homophobic Crime Drop In London from 2012 to 2013

    Figures released by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the UK’s biggest police force, show that reports of crimes that are perceived as homophobic, either ‘by the victim or any other person’ are down 12.7% in the last 12 months.

    In total 1,103 homophobic crimes were reported to the MPS in the 12 months up to March 2013, whilst the year before 1,264 crimes were reported.

    Of the 32 boroughs policed by the MPS, 12 reported an increase in reported homophobic crimes, with Enfield observing the biggest increase in reports. Nineteen boroughs had lower reportages and Ealing had exactly the same number of reports as the previous year.

    An Enfield Council Spokesperson said:

    “Enfield Council works closely with the police and the local community to deal with hate crime against the LGBT community and works tirelessly to create an environment where people affected by homophobic hate crime feel confident enough to report what has happened to them in a supportive environment.

    “While the number of homophobic crimes reported in Enfield this year remains extremely low, thanks to our extensive work with the police in this area, we have seen a significant increase in confidence amongst the LGBT community and consequently the number of reports of homophobic hate crime have increased.

    “Enfield Safer and Stronger Communities Board have a number of initiatives in place to engage with and support the LGBT community including our hate crime strategy, Enfield Council also funds the LGBT Network to help provide support for the community work it does and we have run a number of successful initiatives to improve tolerance and community cohesion amongst all our communities.”

    Overall crime is down in London by 6% and the MPS Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “Crime is down by 6%. This includes some excellent performance across London, with serious youth violence down by 28%, gun crime down 20%. Robberies are down by over 10% and 1000 gang members are in prison or under judicial restriction.

    “These are very significant numbers that have been achieved against a backdrop of substantial operational challenges to the Metropolitan Police such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the London Olympics and Paralympic Games. All of this has been done whilst also saving money.

    “I hope the people of London will be proud of the Met’s achievements.”

    You can take a look at your borough’s crime rates at:http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures

  • PCC Elections Today

    On Thursday 15 November 2012 new elections are taking place in England and Wales (excluding London). (more…)