West Yorkshire region police in the United Kingdom found themselves in the heat of criticism after it was revealed that white-skinned people, including UK citizens and immigrants from east Europe, have limited access to constables. Blacks, Asians and cultural number representatives can apply throughout the year, while white candidates must wait for public recruitment tours.
This policy has been defined by critics as "positive discrimination", which de facto leads to unequal treatment of candidates based on race alternatively than competence.
According to reports from the British diary The Telegraph, West Yorkshire Police recruitment strategy divides candidates into “gold” and “brown”. Black, Asian and cultural minorities in general fall into the category "golden", which gives them the chance to apply without time limits. White British and immigrants from east Europe (e.g. Poland, Romania or Lithuania) have been classified as “brown” and may apply only on certain dates.
The interior informant revealed that number candidates are not only encouraged to apply earlier, but are besides more rapidly sent to screening lists and received invitations to interview – before White candidates are even allowed to apply.
This practice, in his opinion, "restricts professional improvement opportunities for white candidates", even though they are sometimes equally or more skilled than those of the preferred groups.
West Yorkshire Police defends its position, citing the so-called. Positive Action – action allowed by the British Equality Act 2010. The aim is to increase representation of number groups in organisations where they are historically underrepresented.
"The latest figures from the UK census show that 23% of West Yorkshire residents are cultural people another than white people. Meanwhile, only 9% of police officers come from these groups. We want to balance this,” explains the police press secretary.
The police emphasize that the fact that a number candidate has previously submitted applications does not give them a formal advantage – papers are kept in the strategy and considered only in an open recruitment window for all candidates.
However, as informers and commentators indicate, practice differs from theory. The problem that has been highlighted by this issue affects a wider dilemma in modern democracies: how can we reconcile the pursuit of equal opportunities with realities that can lead to unequal treatment?
The introduction of "positive actions" may make sense in situations where minorities are indeed systematically overlooked or discriminated against. But does this justify limiting access to public positions based on skin color?
Critics emphasize that in practice this means that white candidates are automatically placed in a worse position – regardless of their experience, qualifications or motivation.
"The fact that individual has a clear skin and a Polish passport should not disqualify him from applying for a occupation in the British police," 1 commentator notes on social media.
Multiculturalism and Security
West Yorkshire is 1 of the most ethnically diverse counties in England. In cities specified as Bradford, as many as 31% of residents are Asian (mainly from India and Pakistan). Across the county, 23.4% of residents declare a non-white origin – that is more than twice as much as 2 decades ago.
Multiculturalism brings challenges, including for law enforcement. Police argue that officers should reflect the composition of the community they serve. She so wants to increase the number of officers from cultural minorities – especially where the current representation is low.
On the another hand, opponents of the current policy point out that public safety should not depend on demographic statistics, but on competence, ethics and professionalism of officers – regardless of their skin color.
The subject has caused a large stir not only in the media but besides in the political environment. There have been accusations of the introduction of a "origin points" strategy and of unconstitutional restrictions on access to employment for certain groups of citizens.
Some politicians called for an investigation into recruitment practices in West Yorkshire Police, demanding greater transparency and equal treatment of all candidates.
Many citizens ask: if equality means that everyone has equal opportunities, is it not a denial of this rule to differentiate the recruitment process?
In this dispute, the East European community, including Poles, may feel peculiarly affected. Although many of them have lived in the Isles for years, they work honestly and rise children, their access to public service can be restricted by being formally classified as white candidates. This is another example of the fact that British debates on diversity frequently overlook white immigrants – which do not include any form of affirmative action and which may besides experience systemic, linguistic or cultural barriers.
The West Yorkshire case could have wider consequences. It shows tensions between identity policy and the rule of equal access. Many commentators are afraid that the usage of "positive actions" may lead to a reverse to the intended – division, frustration and deficiency of assurance in public institutions.
Equality should not mean that 1 group should be privileged at the expense of another. Police – as an institution of public trust – must take care of representation, but besides for the fairness and transparency of the recruitment process.
