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The London School of Economics and Political Science Policing Minority The London School of Economics and Political Science Policing minority ethnic communities: A case study in London’s ‘Little India’ Sara Trikha A thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, December 2012. Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 94,284 words. The bibliography of my thesis was typed by David Church. Sara Trikha 1 Abstract The Macpherson Inquiry (1999) was instrumental in forcing into the public domain the issue of police racism, which for decades had been an endemic part of police culture. My thesis, undertaken post Macpherson (1999), examined ongoing tensions in the policing of minority ethnic communities through a case study of policing in London’s ‘Little India’. My thesis highlights the continuing influence of racism in policing, describing a world of policing ethnically diverse communities that is far more complex, variable and contradictory than has yet been documented in the empirical policing literature. I describe how policing in Greenfield was a patchwork of continuity and change, illustrating how, despite the advances the police in Greenfield had made in eradicating overt racism from the organisation, passive prejudice remained rife among officers. Most notably, despite acknowledging Greenfield’s long resident Asian communities as the ‘indigenous population’, officers still had little knowledge about these communities, tending to classify them as ‘Asians’ in a way that obscured, rather than illuminated their diversity. Furthermore, while officers regarded ‘Asians’ as the established communities of Greenfield, new ‘problem populations’ - most notably Somalis, Muslims and travellers - emerged, with officers tending to engage with these communities in antagonistic ways, echoing themes from early studies of race and policing. Yet beneath this somewhat depressing overarching picture of policing, a more complex, contradictory network of attitudes and practice emerged, 2 encompassing both officers who were overtly hostile to ethnic diversity and also examples of inspirational officers committed to reforming the policing of minority ethnic communities. Having described policing in Greenfield, I conclude by discussing the wider ramifications for police legitimacy and democracy in Britain, arguing that until greater emphasis is placed on ensuring that the police support the equitable principles of democracy, the police in Greenfield and other areas will continue to fail the marginalised people who most need their services. 3 Acknowledgements During my research I have accrued debts of gratitude to a number of generous hearted individuals, without whose help this thesis could never have been written. First and foremost I am indebted to my supervisor, Doctor Janet Foster, for her continuing support, guidance and robust good sense and to Professor Paul Rock who provided invaluable advice at key stages in the research. Secondly I am grateful to my employers at the Home Office, Department for Communities and Local Government and Ministry of Justice for funding my PhD and allowing me to work flexibly to complete my research. My boss at the Ministry of Justice, Nick Goodwin, deserves special thanks for his seemingly endless kindness, patience and encouragement during the final stages of the thesis. Thirdly I would like to thank all of the police officers who participated in my research and were so generous in granting me access, sharing their views and giving up their time. Although they cannot be named to preserve their anonymity, I am deeply indebted to them all. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Mohan and Anil Trikha, for encouraging me to pursue knowledge to the highest levels. 4 Contents Declaration ............................................................................................... 1 Abstract .................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................. 4 Contents ................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables............................................................................................ 8 Acronyms ................................................................................................. 9 Introduction............................................................................................ 10 Race and policing: the ongoing issue ................................................... 10 Aims of the research............................................................................. 13 An ethnography of ‘Little India’ ............................................................. 13 Contributions to debates on race and policing...................................... 14 Chapter One: Policing ethnically diverse communities ..................... 21 Introduction........................................................................................... 21 Ethnic diversity - a very British history .................................................. 21 The defining role of racism ................................................................... 23 The ‘Black’ experience in Britain........................................................... 28 Beyond the ‘Black’ experience.............................................................. 31 Policing Britain’s ethnic minorities: a sorry history ................................ 38 Over policing and under protection....................................................... 41 Explanations and attempts at reform .................................................... 46 Macpherson: a watershed in policing.................................................... 51 Persisting tensions................................................................................ 54 Conclusion............................................................................................ 60 Chapter Two: Methodology................................................................... 63 Introduction........................................................................................... 63 Research questions.............................................................................. 63 Conducting the research....................................................................... 64 ‘Infiltrating the field’............................................................................... 68 Acceptance of the ‘acceptable incompetent’......................................... 71 The limits of acceptance....................................................................... 75 Ethical dilemmas................................................................................... 78 Subjective interpretations ..................................................................... 80 Conclusion............................................................................................ 87 Chapter Three: Greenfield..................................................................... 88 Introduction........................................................................................... 88 Greenfield: a diverse history ................................................................. 89 Hostility against the incomers ............................................................... 93 Collective action.................................................................................... 96 Clashes with the police......................................................................... 99 Indications of reform ........................................................................... 105 Contemporary challenges................................................................... 106 Conclusion.......................................................................................... 112 Chapter Four: Police perspectives on Greenfield............................. 113 Introduction......................................................................................... 113 Understanding Greenfield................................................................... 113 Greenfield - a ‘foreign land’................................................................. 118 Established Asian communities .......................................................... 122 Muslims - the suspect population........................................................ 128 Somalis - ‘problematic’ new arrivals.................................................... 133 5 Other ‘problem populations’................................................................ 139 Intersections with class, age and language ........................................ 144 Fear and ignorance............................................................................. 152 Conclusion.......................................................................................... 154 Chapter Five: Asian officers - looking from the inside..................... 158 Introduction........................................................................................
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