Antwerp police should urgently work out a genuine anti-discrimination policy. This is one of the current recommendations of Comité P (the Police Monitoring Standing Committee). The latter has investigated racism cases within the Antwerp police force. So Gazet van Antwerpen reports on Monday. Only a minority of individuals within the Antwerp police displayed behaviour of a racist nature, but this minority is not called to account by its superiors or colleagues.
Comité P began an enquiry in 2014 regarding the policy to fight discrimination within the Antwerp police, after reports of harassment and discrimination appeared in the press. Comité P, says that a “culture of silence” dominates deep at the heart of the Antwerp police. This infers that police operatives are not drawing attention to incidents of a racist nature, for fear of reprisals. The report is especially critical of the force's leadership under the previous mayor, who should have taken positive steps in this regard. Comité P is clear that a change could take place under the current Antwerp police commander Serge Muyters. In the newspaper, he confirms the need for a “giant step” in the diversity domain and the fight against racism, the foundations for which have already been laid with both the reform of the Cellule Diversité (Diversity Unit) and training for police operatives in leadership roles. An internal campaign will also start in May to encourage staff to make known racist behaviour via a central contact point.
(Source: Belga)
