Page 26 - WMPF Federation Magazine February / March 2018

‘Times have changed’,

Sam welcomes shift

in policing culture

West Midlands DS who has
experienced discrimination because
Aof the colour of her skin and her
sexuality has praised the Force for its efforts
to ensure there are equal opportunities for
all officers.
Sam Batey, who was promoted when
she had five years’ service under her belt,
says that while she has never experienced
any overt racism within the Force, she
welcomes the shift within policing that has
led to officers coming from many different
cultural backgrounds.
“Times have changed. Policing has
changed,” says Sam, who is currently
seconded to the PPU Re-design Team from
OCSET, in a feature first published in the PPU
newsletter just before Christmas.
“We are now more tolerant of others but
there is still much to be done. I’m not naïve
enough to say that no-one within WMP is
racist. Of course, there are people who work
among us who have strong personal views. DS Sam Batey (left) with a colleague.
As long as they stay personal, that’s OK with Due to the prejudice Sam has faced them.”
me. What matters is that we all understand throughout her life, she is determined that There were also other incidents as Sam
that any type of demeaning or no-one else should suffer discrimination and grew up and went through school.
discriminative behaviour will not be is also passionate about doing all she can to But, having passed A-levels and starting
tolerated and will be dealt with robustly. make a difference to people’s lives, training to be a dentist, Sam was unbowed
“The organisation has done a lot to something she has been able to do through and decided to join the police, buoyed by the
highlight positive action and has made various public protection roles. fact that the height restriction had been
great inroads into removing barriers BME She was herself subjected to racism even abolished.
officers face in terms of opportunities and before she was born. Her teenage mother She explains: “I was warned by my close
promotion. I remember some years back put her up for adoption at the age of two friends that the police service was racist. My
when there was a big push for BME in with Social Services reporting: “This negro parents, whilst very supportive, told me to
certain roles and I was bombarded with child will not be accepted by the family.” expect racism. I’d been stop checked a few
emails from Operations asking, ‘Dear Sam remembers feeling shocked and times on my way home from nightclubs and
Samantha, have you considered becoming a saddened when she read the report and also some of these experiences hadn’t been that
dog sergeant?’ Funnily enough, no I hadn’t! some of the comments made by her birth pleasant, I’ll admit. The media was saturated
But, although quite random, it was nice to mother’s father to describe her own birth with the outcome of the Stephen Lawrence
be considered. father. inquiry, so tension from within the black
“The point is, the organisation is trying But it did not end there and she community was heightened. But I wasn’t to
to ensure BME are represented throughout experienced racism within her adoptive be deterred.
all ranks and departments, we need to be a white family. “So, I stopped a beat sergeant who was
credible organisation. That said, I’ve failed “I went to a predominantly white school, out on a foot patrol one day and asked if I
interviews, not been selected for courses or lived in a white area and didn’t really have could interview him about the role. After a
told where I need to improve in terms of many people around me from ethnic really valuable insight and some advice
development. Positive action towards black backgrounds. I was a happy child until junior around my application, I applied and joined
staff doesn’t mean I’ll get the job or course school. I became quite conscious of the fact West Midlands Police in December 1999. The
over a white person. It means I’ve got an that apart from my brother (who was mixed friendly sergeant some years later became
equal chance as my peers. Where ever my race), no-one in my family had the same Det Supt Tim Bacon!”
future lies within the organisation, I want it colour skin as me,” Sam recalls. However, sadly, the warning voices came
to be because my hard work has been “Some of my extended family were to haunt her within only a few weeks of
recognised, or because I’ve performed better racist, and yet would be quite pleasant to training and she suffered racism at Ryton
than my competition.” my face on the rare occasion we would see with a colleague being arrested over the

26 federation February/March 2018 www.westmidspolfed.com