Being Blue: An Examination of the Lived Experience of Minority Ethnic Police Officers

Policing in Britain is experiencing a crisis of legitimacy. Recent high-profile events have reignited public concern about police culture and institutional racism. Despite a range of initiatives, police officers from minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to be promoted, more likely to resign, more likely to be the subject of public complaints and misconduct proceedings. Yet the lived experience of minority ethnic officers has been absent from research and policymaking for over a decade, and without these insights, interventions will not produce sustainable reform.

Research has neglected to consider the experience of police officers from 'white other' backgrounds, despite recognition that Eastern European populations and Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities experience social exclusion and discrimination. Police organisational culture is influenced by hierarchical rank, yet research on race and policing has focused on frontline officers. This study represents the first in-depth examination of the police workplace to include white minority ethnic officers and the first to include minority ethnic officers in leadership ranks. This study aims to transform the belonging and retention of minority ethnic police officers by examining how police officers from 'visible' and 'invisible' minority ethnic backgrounds navigate racial and ethnic difference. To achieve this, the project will:

Develop an evidence-base that identifies the processes and practices that sustain the marginalisation of (visible and invisible) minority ethnic officers and describe the lived experience of navigating racial and ethnic difference in the police.
Using the knowledge from the evidence base, develop innovative impact activities which support the inclusion, belonging and retention of (visible and invisible) minority ethnic officers in the police.
Establish a sustainable network of academics and practitioners in race and policing to embed opportunities for change and support future large-scale research and impact activities.
This study adopts innovative research design including creative, participant-led, lived experience diary methodology with 50 minority ethnic officers in two constabularies. The diaries are a collection of written, visual and audio material to document participants' perceptions and experiences. This is combined with impact-driven, solution-focused activities, including action-based workshops to coproduce support interventions. This methodological approach will centralise the experience of minority ethnic officers in the design of recommendations for policy and practice change.

The study will bridge the gap between academia and policing to support police organisations to develop a sustainable, inclusive workplace culture. The research findings will inform three impact outputs aimed at empowering the voices of minority ethnic officers to a practitioner and public audience:

'Being Blue: The Unheard Voices' short film as a multi-purpose output to be incorporated into national leadership training, training for new officers and EDI training.
'Narratives of Being Blue: The Unheard Voices in Policing' public exhibition including panel discussion with practitioners, leading academics and activists. The event will include representation from National Police Chiefs Council, chief constables, police and crime commissioners and College of Policing.
Tales from the Other: The Unheard Voices in Policing' non-fiction book as an accessible resource aimed at public and practitioner audience.
This research builds on my emerging reputation in policing scholarship. The new investigator programme of support and research leadership opportunities of this project will provide a platform to realise my vision to develop a new Centre for Policing Research at the University of Leicester and a Qualitative Research in Police Network to support early career researchers in policing studies.