Foreign

I Need More Blacks In UK Police To Fight Injustice – PM, Boris Johnson

Published

6 months ago

July 3, 2020

Victor Okoroafor

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said he wanted a higher percentage of black people to serve in the country’s police force.

Mr Johnson said it would facilitate more success stories of young black people to help rectify racial injustice.

According to the prime minister, while serving as mayor of London, UK he massively increased the black and minority ethnic representation in the Metropolitan Police.

Boris Johnson said there is currently an active programme to accelerate promotion for black police officers in the capital.

“I want to see that happen across the country.

“I would rather see a story of championing success and talking about the opportunities that we can open for young black people.

“That is what I want to see; I much rather work on that.

“Of course, there are injustices that we need to rectify, there is prejudice out there and we need to fight it,’’ the PM said.

The prime minister’s remark comes in the wake of massive protests against racial inequality across the UK and the globe, triggered by the death of George Floyd.

Mr Floyd was an African American man, in police custody in the U.S. city of Minneapolis on May 25.

Over the past month, demonstrators clashed with police and have turned their attention to statues commemorating public figures linked with racism or the slave trade.

In response to the dismantlement of statues of historic figures who protesters believe represent the country’s colonial and racist legacy, Johnson said that removing controversial statues was akin to lying about the country’s history.