By Sammie Jones-
A former Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy has condemned misogyny in the police force and said he would not encourage his daughters to tell police if they were attacked, nor join the police force.
In a blistering attack on the overall honourability of the police force, Fahy indicated that women are not safe in the police force, as he addressed alleged misogyny in Britain’s police forces in the wake of mass criticism sparked by the death of Sarah Everard, and the conduct of Metropolitan Police officers at her vigil this month.
At the same time, recent figures revealed than more than one-third of 999 reports of domestic abuse-related incidents and offences perpetrated by police officers in the UK’s 45 police forces came from the Metropolitan Police. 78 complaints of domestic assault in one year were against police officers from Greater Manchester.
The police chief’s comments came as female police officers who formerly worked for the Metropolitan Police described situations of ‘locker room boys’, sleaze and bullying while working with male staff. They will do little to attract more women into the force.
Fahy told The Mirror that the criminal justice system is ‘built on Victorian principles’ and said it needs an ‘overhaul’. He said he has three grown-up daughters, and that he would ‘probably say no they shouldn’t report it’ if a member of his family was attacked.
Lawyers at the CWJ have been contacted by more than 100 women who claim to have been assaulted by a police officer since it launched a super-complaint against forces last year.
Fahy added, ‘There is no way my daughters would join policing. They wouldn’t be comfortable there.’
The former police chief’s comments call for greater oversight of the police force, who do a good job of combating crime in many cases., but are falling short when it comes to enforcing conduct around equality of treatment.
Former Nottinghamshire Police chief constable, shared similar opinions when she expressed her belief that misogyny within the UK’s police forces feed into low rape and sexual harassment conviction rates.
Fish admitted that she wouldn’t be confident in going to police if she herself was attacked, saying:
Misogyny is so ingrained in the decision-making. They don’t realise they are doing it and why.
Even as a chief constable, I was patronised and dismissed by male colleagues. I would worry about reporting a crime against myself because I am not sure that it would be taken seriously”.
The police force are agents of the law and supposed to reflect the highest standard of conduct and professionalism.
The existence of misogyny in the police force is a scary reality, which stains the dignity of the profession in a way that must be addressed right from the top.
Five Hampshire police were sacked for over racism against a black colleague in January this year.
In December 2020, Ch Insp Miller, who had been a police officer for more than 21 years, was sacked for suggesting a black colleague worked from home because of the increased risks posed to the BAME community. There are several more incidences of proven racism in the police force which pose an incredible challenge on the force’s leaders to address, just as desperately as it needs to do with misogyny.
The reality of racism and misogyny in the police force is such a big shame, which requires a root and branch approach to eradicate it from their midst.
If the police force commit assaults against women themselves, they are serving as hypocrites in a profession not for individuals of their kind.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police told The Eye Of Media.Com:” the police force is generally safe for women and complaints of assault are generally dealt with robustly.
The Met has continues to take action to get rid of the bad apples in the force and are working hard to improve accountability on the Metropolitan Police.