Equal opportunities


04 November 2003 16:23

DISABLED people will be eligible to join the ranks of Norfolk Constabulary from next year.

Changes in legislation means that by October 2004, forces will have to accept disabled applicants to crime-fighting roles.

The changes are unlikely to see officers on the beat in wheelchairs but could open up a whole host of roles - for instance, performing forensics or high-tech crime duties - to people with disabilities.

The Home Office is currently examining how tests for recruits can be altered so as not to discriminate against disabled applicants in such posts.

A spokesman said: "The medical standards are being reviewed for the police to take account of employment provisions of the Disability and Discrimination Act. We are looking at it at the moment."

But Inspector Chris Warren, from Norfolk Police Federation, said there were certain police posts that could be filled by officers with various disabilities.

"It is possible that there could be direct recruitment into police posts where individuals don't need to go through the normal training environment, if they have a particular skill.

"You don't have to go back too many years, when all policemen and women had to be a certain height and that excluded a lot of good people.

"Those things have gradually and properly been eroded away. The end result is that we want quality people who can deliver a service to the community.

"The fact that they have a disability could be irrelevant.

"I think it is always useful to review procedures every now and then anyway, because legislation moves on and time moves on."

He added: "I can't sit here now and say we should have individuals up to a certain level of disability and not accept them beyond that.

"I can't be prescriptive and say where the line should and will be drawn. We need quality officers to provide a service.

"We mustn't go away from the fact that the bulk of officers we recruit need to be fit because of the role that the bulk of them will have to perform, amongst many things, like law enforcement and public order duties."

He said there were already some officers, who had developed disabilities during their careers, working for the force.

"It is not a totally new thing for the Constabulary. A number of officers become disabled, to a greater or a lesser degree due to injuries in or out of work. Then they are not able to perform a frontline role, so they get redeployed to other roles.

"There are a number of officers who have been redeployed because they have a disability and cannot perform a frontline role."

Insp Warren's comments follow those of Jan Berry, national chairwoman of the Federation.

She said: "We are not going to have officers in wheelchairs freewheeling down the high street in pursuit of street robbers.

"But we are going to have some officers in wheelchairs in disability-adapted police premises and, in some cases, outside police premises, doing a vital job that requires the power, training, experience and expertise of a professional police officer."

A spokeswoman for Norfolk police said: "People with disabilities will be considered for police jobs. The Home Office is looking at ways of making recruitment processes fairer for people with disabilities."

Email A Friend

News: Latest headlines on Evening News 24