‘MISOGYNY AND WIDESPREAD SEXISM’ BEHAVIOUR IN UK POLICE NEED TO END: CHIEF

Sun 31 October 2021:

When Sarah Everard, 33, was brutally raped and murdered by a police officer, it aroused concerns about misogynistic behavior among UK officers. The organization’s leader has now asked that the department’s sexist culture be ended immediately.

Susannah Fish, a former chief constable of Nottinghamshire police, has come forward to say that the department is “institutionally misogynistic.” She also alleged that as a police officer, she was sexually harassed by her coworkers.

Now, John Apter, the chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has stated that misogynistic behavior exists in the police force across the country, and that it must be addressed immediately in order to protect female officers.

The chairman went on to say that sexist and misogynistic behavior has a negative impact on society as a whole, not just on women.

“Misogyny is not just a problem for women, it’s a problem for us all. Far too often there is silence when this takes place, and through this inaction we are failing each other and wider society,” he said. “We need to consign to the history books some of our ‘canteen culture’, where sexist nicknames and derogatory remarks are made. When banter crosses the line to become sexist, derogatory or homophobic, that’s when it ceases to be banter, and this is where we need a recalibration.”

Apter has pushed his coworkers to ensure that sexist nicknames, insulting statements about women, and other sexist practices are “consigned to the history books.”

“Maintaining public confidence in policing is essential, so we have to accept that we have a problem, as only then can we deal with it,” Apter said. “Cultural change is never easy, and this is not unique to policing, but just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean we mustn’t try. Doing nothing is not an option.”

He also stated that since the murder of Sarah Everard, the public’s trust in the police has plummeted.

“Sarah Everard’s horrific murder has impacted on our relationship with the public. Everyone in policing must face that. It’s not enough to say that this was the actions of one evil man who deserves to rot in jail,” he said. “We must demonstrate not only through our words, but also through our actions, that sexism and misogyny have absolutely no place in the police service.”

He added that every individual in the force needs to act on their words of improvement in their behaviour, rather than dismiss this topic by saying it is just one person’s actions.

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