Subj : EX-COP SAYS HOMOPHOBIA A "CANCER" IN UK POLICE FORCE
To : All
From : Major Queen
Date : Tue May 05 2020 03:56 pm
MAY 5, 2020 SOURCE EXPRESS
The Police Force in the United Kingdom has been hit with a scathing review by
a former openly gay police officer.
Kevin Maxwell, who has recently written a book titled Forced Out on his
experience in the police force, has slammed the culture of the organisation
and said that unfortunately, the attitudes are "too ingrained" for any change
to take place.
Speaking with The Guardian Maxwell says that homophobia and racism against
him and other black or gay police officers was like a cancer.
"It's a cancer in the police and nobody knows how to cut it out. The
leadership have a lot to answer for. They talk the talk but there is no real
punishment for misbehaviour."
Maxwell adds that two of the officers who he accused of discrimination were
later promoted
"That was their reward. What message does that send out?" he asked.
Maxwell, who is originally from Liverpool says that he not only regrets
failing to listen to friends who warned him of the discriminative culture
before joining but also regrets allowing the abuse to continue for as long as
it did.
"I also feel a lot of shame that I joined the force in the first place and
didn't listen to the friends who warned me not to," he said.
"Now when I think about those wasted years, which I will never get back - I
can't describe how that feels. I lost everything - my marriage, my home, my
income, my mental health. All of it."
Maxwell, warns young people from minority backgrounds who are thinking of
joining the police force to do so with their "eyes wide open."
"They need to be very mindful about the attitudes and prejudices they are
likely to face. If I were to start saying to young Black and brown boys, gay
young men or lesbians, 'Don't join the police', then nothing is ever going to
change."
"I believe the force desperately needs more Black and brown recruits, more
gay recruits."
