The policing of racist violence – a way forward for Northern Ireland

Patel, T

Abstract

Given the increase in the reporting of racist incidents in Northern Ireland involving attacks against members of its black minority ethnic population, this paper focuses on the degree to which these racist incidents are successfully policed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Findings of an empirical pilot study undertaken between the period of October 2007 and March 2008 is reported on. In drawing parallels with police forces in Britain, with which the PSNI and patterns of racism in Northern Ireland can now most be likened to, the aim of the study was to gain an insight into organisational changes as well as the lived experiences and attitudes of operational officers in their policing of duties in matters relating to race, racism and racist incidents. The key finding of the research was that although the policing of racist incidents were being taken seriously on an organisational level, underlying assumptions about a racial hierarchy hindered policing on a operational level. The paper makes a number of recommendations on how to best move forward with policing of racist incidents in Northern Ireland, in order to produce fair and accountable policing, as well as justice for those experiencing racist incidents.

Citation

Patel, T. (2008, July). The policing of racist violence – a way forward for Northern Ireland. Presented at British-Irish Section of the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control - Capital, Culture, Power: Criminalisation and Resistance, Liverpool, England

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: British-Irish Section of the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control - Capital, Culture, Power: Criminalisation and Resistance
• Conference Location: Liverpool, England
• Start Date: Jul 2, 2008
• End Date: Jul 4, 2008
• Deposit Date: Oct 28, 2011
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference