It’s PC gone mad, again
The Social Engineering & Political Correctness Department of Humberside Police are using the taxpayers’ money to great effect in Humberside with the latest hair-brained scheme to train its officers. (actually, there isn’t such a department in Humberside, or any other force, as far as I’m aware, but you’d be forgiven for thinking there is).
One of the Constabulary’s finest has recently undergone a sex-change. Chief Superintenden Kevin Sharp has written to every member of staff in the area advising of ‘Lauren’s’ new status saying “As from today, Lauren starts her new life and over the next few weeks you will receive awareness training during which you will be able to read a personal letter from Lauren”. The letter went on to say “I trust you will have the same determination as I have to help Lauren return to work with as little fear and trepidation as possible.” The Supt called on his staff to treat Lauren “as we would expect a close family member to be treated”.
All 334 police officers & 166 civilian staff are to attend a half-day training session, during which time, presumably, they will not be available for any policing duties in the community.
Police forces – and all other public bodies – are required by law to provide their staff with training to prevent discrimination. Hence the reams of utterly useless ‘diversity’ training we’ve had to endure on a regular basis for the last few years. I have no doubt that this most recent example has absolutely nothing to do with creating cohesion & understanding within the ranks, but everything to do with being able to say they’re not responsible should Lauren sue the force the moment someone makes an inapropriate comment.
I can’t help thinking that the residents of Humberside might imagine a better use of their taxes & police officers’ time than sitting in a hotel conference facility for half a day learning about how transexuals feel. I can’t help wondering whether the information the Supt wanted to pass to his staff could have been equally well transmitted by an email, or indeed a couple of extra paragraphs to the letter he sent advising of the training.
SDH says:
Diversity courses aren’t a complete waste of time – my last two finished 2 hours early so we got a flyer and a chance to put some fishing time in
August 7th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Altercation says:
It must be really hard for Lauren changing her gender, never mind doing so in a male dominated and not very sympathetic policing environment. She didn’t ask for everyone to have to go on a diversity training day yet she’ll still feel guilty when officers in her area express sentiments similar to the ones in your post today. Shame.
With regard to you suggestion about the extra info being passed in a email: Be realistic, who actually reads and takes in all of what’s on a Supt’s email. While not everyone pays attention at Diversity Seminars, there’s more chance of stuff getting through than if you’re stressed on a busy late shift and are flicking through trying to prioritise emails.
And finally, what do you think the average copper knows about transgender issues that they didn’t learn from a diversity seminar. In my case it’s nowt.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
200 says:
Yes, it must be very hard for Lauren or anyone else in a similar situation. Is it going to be less hard because 500 people have had what basically amounts to an arse-covering exercise in diversity. Most of those 500 I’d suggest will never come into contact with Lauren, or any other transsexual and it will probably even have a negative effect & create resentment amongst them & the wider public who will see this as a gross waste of cash.
With regards the email, I did actually mention a couple of alternative methods of passing whatever information the job feels is required. It’s funny how we can pass information which is absolutely vital to the function of a police officer by impersonal training methods but ‘diversity’ has to be on expensive courses some of which last days rather than hours.
And finally, what is it you think the average copper ought to know about transgender issues that they don’t already know over & above the need to treat everyone with respect, I suspect you could probably sum it up in less than half a day.
Oh, that wasn’t finally, but this is. If the job spent 1/4 of the time training officers how to put new laws into good effect, how to arrest people & interview them (ie how to be a police officer) as they did giving us condescending, elementary-school level, tick-box, arse-covering diversity training, we might be doing a better job than we are now.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
blueknight says:
This sort of thing will carry on while there is money to be made out of it. Not to mention the Solicitors and Barristers that represent and defend both sets of ‘victims’
1, Managing Diversity training – 1 day – private courses from £895 + vat
2. The Psychology of Diversity – 2 days (Non-residential) Non-member price: £960 + VAT member price: £860 + VAT
3. Managing Diversity – Cost £499.00 Duration 1 day
4. Equality and Diverity General Programme costs £340.00 + V.A.T. per person per day
August 7th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Tony F says:
Is Lauren a human being? I certainly think so, good on her for continuing with her life. Diversity training, my arse. Arse covering by management? Certainly. I suspect that 99% of the people who know her will support her, and those that don’t will not know. Or would not unless it is written out in lights.
Lauren, best of luck.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Plodnomore says:
Every Police officer or Police employed person, even the Diversty instructor/mentor/facilitator/whatever, has an opinion, usually based on experiences gained through life in a Police related environment (SMT is uaually composed of a bunch of tw*ts who only ever did 3 weeks of their 2 year probation on the beat so have no idea what being a Police officer is all about – discuss). Being made to sit through a ‘gender recognition diversity understanding’ session is not going to do a lot to change that particular viewpoint. Best of luck for Lauren but do get a life and get on with the job – if you find you are dealt with unfairly in anyway there is already a long standing, recognised, method of dealing with this. My last diversity course was 3 weeks before I retired and we had a house owning traveller running a ‘traveller and gypsy awareness’ day. When we were asked to form up into groups and write down good and bad things about travellers, the Sgt facilitator was upset when my group could only write “they keep their caravans clean” under the ‘good things’column. It was only when I was asked to talk about travellers and I mentioned that ‘I was sure there were travellers who left a farmer’s field in as good as, or better, condition as it was when they left but regretted that in 30 years of being a Police officer, I had not met any’ that I was asked (nay, told) to leave the room. For some reason the attendance on that particular diversity course never appeared on my file. Funny that.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
This country is going fucking crazy at PreshBlog says:
[...] Nothing the post title doesn’t cover – over 500 police staff to take training to understand sex-change weirdo. [...]
August 9th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Alex says:
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
August 16th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
RJ says:
Regardless of any amount of ‘training’ of colleagues, transexuals of any sort never really fit in. A highly experienced FME (aka Police Surgeon, etc) told me that in her (vast) experience, people undergoing gender reassignment surgery rarely end up happy and more often not kill themselves in the end (and she even advocated euthansia!). I wouldn’t go that far and hope Larry / Lauren ends up happy, but I’m convinced such people are better off left as they are – and this would favour the tax-payer who normally has to pay exorbitant sums for the work and other medical care.
August 17th, 2008 at 2:51 pm