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“I believe that
white men should be white, yellow men
should be yellow, and black men should be
black in the great panorama of races,
until each and every race by its own
initiative lifts itself up to the
common standard of humanity, so as to compel the respect and appreciation of all
and make it possible
for each one to stretch out the
hand of welcome without being prejudiced against the other”. Marcus Garvey. Hatred that emerges
mainly because of a person’s race, religion or skin colour
is abhorrent to all civilised
persons. It is the duty of a free society, to publicly reject racism and build
communities that are intolerant of racist values. The rights to live without
fear of oppression or discrimination are rights that are extended to all men,
women and children regardless of their ethnic origins. All communities should
work together to defeat racism wherever it exists. We must all be committed to
join together in this task. Racially motivated
crimes cut to the heart of communities leaving victims feeling vulnerable and
devalued. We should not underestimate the impact even seemingly insignificant
incidents can have on victims. Only victims will know how they feel, how it
affects them and how their lifestyle may change because of it. It is therefore
essential that victims are consulted on any support provided. These types of
incidents, if left unchallenged, will perpetuate a false normality and create a
climate of intolerance and inequality leading to social exclusion. Not all racially
motivated crime is reported. Often when a crime is reported, it is done so as a
last resort, perhaps previously hoping that the abuse would cease. The reasons
for this underreporting vary and a lack of confidence in police actions is often
a significant contributory factor. Confidence cannot be achieved overnight and
must be underpinned by actions that justify community trust and support. This Accord is the
result of detailed discussions on how police together in partnership with others
should respond to race issues. Our performance against racially motivated crime
will galvanize community perceptions of police actions. It is not a ‘blueprint’
that guarantees each investigation will be brought to a successful conclusion.
It is however, a range of principles crucially linked to actions that
collectively will provide the best opportunity of meeting the needs and
expectations of all victims of racially motivated crime. Cultural diversity is
not a static phenomenon and all organisations
must rise to the continuing challenges posed by this community enrichment. This
accord will be the benchmark upon which we are judged and held accountable. Signed on behalf of Greenwich:
Cllr Len Duvall, Leader of Greenwich Council Peter Zieminski, Borough Commander, Greenwich Police Mr Hardev Dhillon
January 1999 |
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