London Police Met Hosts Meeting with Youth to Discuss Issues Since London Bombings

August 7, 2005

Source: The Panthic Weekly

http://www.panthic.org/news/124/ARTICLE/1652/2005-08-07.html?sid=bc7e225be6c5c1faa3c84d6d791717d6

On August 7, 2005 The Panthic Weekly reported, "The London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur chaired meeting to discuss issues faced by the youth of various communities. The police was interested in discussing how the communities felt, the issues and solutions. The police also stressed a new helpline which was launched with regards to stop and search procedures which was available in various languages... Recent accounts of police harassment in Birmingham where bought to the attention at the meeting. One particular incident was of a young Sikh who was stopped by police and with in minutes 6 police cars where in attendants for the stopping of an amritdharhi (baptised) Sikh having a kirpan in his position.

Other issues included the perception of Sikhs in the media, and the fact Sikhs were not being mentioned by MPs, or the police in media interviews, etc. the commissioner said he felt that the Sikh community was under represented in the police and he wanted this to change, he wanted to see more Sikhs in higher positions of the police force."