Police at one of Britain’s biggest forces are being taught they have ‘white privilege’ as part of so-called ‘equity training’.
The training, which was introduced last September, covers topics including "white privilege", "micro-aggressions" and the difference between being "non-racist versus anti-racist".
The training came just one month after Thames Valley Police had been found by an employment tribunal to have positively discriminated against white officers.
The case involved a detective inspector post that was not advertised but went to an Asian sergeant, despite warnings about legal risks of not holding a competitive process.
An independent review of the case ordered by the force’s police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber, warned that white privilege “can often be seen as demonising white people and therefore building barriers to the learning”.
A review, by former assistant chief constable Kerrin Wilson, found that some officers were ‘frustrated’ and there was significant tension in the force.
She wrote about some officers that “as white males they felt disadvantaged and … they had the perception that unfairness was allowed for minority groups but not for majority populations.”
Meanwhile, ethnic minority staff no longer wanted to participate in special promotion schemes as "the damage to their reputation is greater than the opportunity they may have been afforded".
Some minority officers now feel the force has become "a hostile environment".
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “Our staff and officers represent a diverse group with a range of views on many issues – but it’s our shared values that bring us together to protect our communities.
“We are committed to learning from this employment tribunal and independent review to improve how we work together.
“We strive to be fair and courageous in how we serve our colleagues and the community.”
