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Sikhs in British police have a
new forum now
WSN Network
 LONDON:
Britain now has a new police association that is aimed at giving
Sikh officers across the UK an "officially recognised voice".
The British Sikh
Police Association (BSPA) aims to help forces recruit, retain and
progress Sikh staff.
Its chair, Sgt
Kashmira Singh Mann, a Thames Valley Police officer in
Slough,
Berkshire,
said it also aimed to help police understand Sikh communities.
It is estimated
there are more than 500 Sikh officers and 1,500 police staff in the
UK, Thames Valley Police said.
The Metropolitan
Police Service and West Midlands Police are have the largest number
of Sikh staff.
The BSPA is
holding a launch ceremony at the force's headquarters in Kidlington,
Oxfordshire, on Wednesday.
"This is an
important step towards improving the profile of Sikh officers within
the police and giving them an officially recognised voice, but also
of improving the police's understanding of the communities it
serves," Sgt Singh Mann said.
"The
establishment of the BSPA, for us, represents an important move
towards social cohesion and integration, just like other support
networks within the police."
He said Sikh
officers were in a "privileged position" in that they were "well
placed to strengthen the bridge that already exists between our
employer and our community and promote understanding on both sides".
Full membership
of the BSPA will be open to all current members of a UK police force
who are Sikhs by birth or have converted to the faith.
29
April 2009
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