SEXISM and homophobia are still rampant in the police service, leaving hundreds of men and women feeling excluded and discriminated against, according to a study for the Home Office.

More than 20 years of effort to rid the service of its macho “canteen culture” have failed to bring substantial change. The use of racist language has, however, almost disappeared because officers know it will lead to disciplinary action.

But the consequence of senior officers focusing on the issue of race is that sexism and homophobia remain widespread, the study found. It discovered sexist language and homophobic comments and attitudes in every area of police work. “Sexist language and behaviour was all but endemic within the police service,” it said. “Women, minority ethnic and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender officers continued in large numbers to feel excluded, uncomfortable and discriminated against.”

The study said that their experiences were largely unnoticed and that senior officers were failing to tackle the problem.The findings are a serious indictment of the service, which for the past 20 years has been warned in repeated reports of the extent of sexism in the ranks. Although there are six women chief constables, the study found a tolerance of sexist and homophobic language in all areas of police work. Tim Newburn, one of the authors, said: “Sexism was endemic, that is to say everywhere. Not just in every force we surveyed, but in every part of every force.”

Mr Newburn, Professor of Criminology at the London School of Economics, said: “The sense that I have, having worked in this area for 20 years, is that certainly in relation to sexism, it does not appear that a great deal has changed.

“That is not to say nothing has changed. Women officers are now more visible in the senior ranks, but so far as rank-and-file officers are concerned I believe, and our observations showed, there is still an awful long way to go to rid the service of sexism.”

Mr Newburn, whose in-depth study of four forces — including the Metropolitan Police — and surveys of officers in a further 17 forces, added: “It is quite clear that gay and lesbian officers find themselves in a very uncomfortable position in the police service.

“There have been moments during the past 25 years when tackling sexism and homophobia has been high on the police agenda. I get the impression that this kind of sexist and homophobic language is now largely ignored and even tacitly accepted.”

His report found a greater tolerance of sexist and homophobic language, though not of racist comments. Sexist language was found in all forces. In one a woman officer was repeatedly asked, when out with a male colleague, whether her legs were still closed.

Women reported being called “dolly” and “dizzy blonde” by men. One told the authors that there was always a “sexual undercurrent” present during her work.

Woman and gay officers said they were excluded by a predominantly male, heterosexual culture. Women said that they commonly felt undermined and unvervalued by male colleagues and were ignored on police teams. It led to resignation among some officers and even managers.

One woman said: “The problem is you’re still a woman in the job and it’s always going to be a struggle. You’re never going to be taken 100 per cent seriously. It’s historically been a male profession . . . it’s a male profession that has had to adopt females and gays and black people. I think you’re going to have change, but I don’t think you’re going to find a complete acceptance of females.”

The study found that there were fewer openly gay officers than lesbians and that those were afraid to be open about their sexuality because of the likelihood of abuse.

PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME

140, 563 police officers in England and Wales on March 31, 2004, including 4,629 minority ethnic officers and 28,209 women officers

8 per cent of officers of rank of chief inspector and above are women

6 women chief constables:
Della Cannings North Yorkshire
Maria Wallis Devon and Cornwall
Barbara Wilding South Wales
Gillian Parker Bedfordshire
Julie Spence Cambridgeshire (temporary)
Carole Howlett Norfolk (temporary)
Hazel Blears Police Minister

13.9 per cent of police in England and Wales in 1994-1995 were women

20 per cent of police in England and Wales were women in 2004

• Jan Berry is first chairwoman of the Police Federation, the organisation representing rank-and-file officers
  
  
• Brian Paddick, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, is the country’s most senior openly gay officer

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