A mandatory diversity and inclusion programme introduced by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary following a 2021 misconduct scandal has come under renewed scrutiny after internal survey results revealed some staff felt pressured to accept its teachings.
The £861,737 UK taxpayer-funded initiative required all 6,250 employees to complete training covering topics such as racism, unconscious bias, privilege and critical race theory.
Documents show one of the programme’s creators, psychology professor Netta Weinstein, warned that compulsory training imposed after a controversy could backfire by reinforcing biases and creating resentment. Survey findings later indicated some officers felt controlled, feared saying the wrong thing and worried mistakes could be held against them.
A survey obtained by The Times found that around 14 per cent of Hampshire Police staff felt they had been pressured into accepting the training’s concepts, with some saying they worried any misstep could be used against them. One in five respondents also reported concerns about being criticised or ostracised for expressing the wrong views or making “inappropriate comments”.
The programme also involved tens of thousands of pounds in payments to external consultants and training providers. The revelations have intensified debate over diversity, equity and inclusion policies within British policing, with critics arguing police should focus on crime-fighting rather than social initiatives, while senior officers maintain efforts to tackle discrimination remain essential.
Critics have drawn a link between the DEI initiatives and the handling of the Henry Nowak case, arguing the controversy has fuelled wider concerns about whether officers have been distracted from core policing responsibilities by DEI-focused priorities.
Image credit: Zacqueline Baldwin
Trump is BAD for stopping DEI and illegal immigration.
Nowhere in nature does DEI exist or persist, except in stupid people who hold a civilisation level extintion death wish.
Even bacteria behaves in a distinctly non DEI manner.
The animal kingdom would fall apart overnight if prey were forced to into cohabitation with predators, and were not allowed to fight back.
You are here!