Police officers have been warned against using the terms “black sheep” or “blacklisted” over racism fears.
A nine-page document was published in 2023 in a DEI inclusion reference guide for employees at Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire constabularies.
It said that words like “faith” should be avoided due to it being too “Christian-centric” and stated that “pregnant woman” should be replaced with “pregnant person”.
The resource described gender as a “social construct,” adding that there was a “wider range of gender identities than just male and female.”
Police officers have been warned against using the terms “black sheep” or “blacklisted” over racism fears
PA
One section spoke of the concept of “white fragility” as “a state in which some white people are unable to cope with or process the information they receive about racism”.
The document also recommended that officers watch a BBC Bitesize video – intended for GCSE students – “to understand the difference between ‘non-racist’ and ‘anti-racist’.”
Staff are advised to avoid generalisations like women in their 50s being menopausal or elderly people being grumpy.
It also said that “mature adult” should not be used as it implies that “younger people” cannot be mature.
The UK’s first black Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Festus Akinbusoye, who previously worked as the PCC for Bedforshire Constabulary, called the document “utterly mad”.
The PCC said it was rightfully important that officers conducted themselves professionally, however questioned why the term “whitewashing” was not mentioned but the terms “blacklisted”, “black sheep” and “black mark” were, adding that this raised concerns.
“Was this to have been brought to my attention while serving as Police and Crime Commissioner, I would have asked questions as to the necessity and limited inclusivity of this inclusion document,” he said.
Campaigner and psychotherapist James Esses shared screenshots of the guidance on X, writing: “I think it is utter madness that in all the years we have seen the harms that this woke ideology has done, that this being sent to police officers.”
“It is so highly offensive to women to use the term ‘pregnant person’.”
Esses said the UK should follow in Donald Trump’s footsteps and scrap DEI policies, adding that it was “ludicrous” that the police was being “captured” by “critical race ideology” .
The psychotherapist noted that the terms “black sheep,” “blacklist” and “black mark” did not even originate from racist ideology, saying they were “associated with death and darkness”.
The UK’s first black Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Festus Akinbusoye called the document ‘utterly mad’
Bedfordshire PCC
He said: “It is quite concerning…the threat that somebody can be smeared [for using these terms] is truly terrifying.”
A spokesman speaking for the three forces said they could confirm the information was made available as part of a DEI reference guide for staff, adding: “Our forces serve diverse communities, and we are pleased to have an inclusive, culturally intelligent workforce, and invest in training to develop this ethos across our workforce.
“The information we have issued aims to provide guidance to help our officers and staff identify difference in our communities and treat the public we serve with respect. We regularly review such guidance to ensure that it remains current.
“We are committed to ensuring everyone across our three forces takes personal responsibility to help create an inclusive workplace, where police officers and staff respect others, feel valued for their differences and can be themselves.”