Special patrol in Birmingham to mark Black Inclusion Week
Some of West Midlands Police's Black officers came together on Tuesday to mark Black Inclusion Week (BIW) with a special patrol in a Birmingham neighbourhood.
They took to the streets of Lozells to chat about their roles, listen to the community’s concerns and encourage more people to join the force.
Throughout Black Inclusion Week, the force is highlighting the work of Black officers while openly talking about its ambition to be more representative of the diverse communities they serve.
West Midlands Police is aiming to recruit 2,800 officers by 2023, with an ambition of 1,000 of those to be from under-represented backgrounds.
Out of 6,600 officers in the force, only 208 of them are Black and mixed heritage.
Ch Supt Phil Dolby, head of the diversity and inclusion department, said: “These patrols are a celebration of the Black staff that we have, and to talk about how we’re aspiring for far more to join the West Midlands Police family.
“While of course we wouldn’t normally arrange patrols with a group of officers from one ethnic background, Black Inclusion Week for us is about celebrating our Black officers staff and encouraging more Black people to join the force."
