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Chief Constable's "racist joke"

01 May 1992

Tony Judge, the editor of Police, the magazine of the Police Federation, has criticised the decision of the Strathclyde police authority to take no action over allegations of racist remarks by their Chief Constable Mr Leslie Sharp. The comments were made at a dinner hosted by Prestwick Cricket Club in Ayrshire at which Mr Sharp was the guest speaker. Mr Sharp is reported to have told a "crude joke" referring to experiments with robot cricket umpires but cricketers had complained that the bright white colour of the robot blinded the batsmen. "It was suggested they paint it black" Mr Sharp was reported to have said But they said that they had once and it was no good because it started smoking pot, mugging old ladies and robbing shops".

Chairman of the Police Committee, James Jennings, said that Mr Sharp's comments had been indiscreet but that he had apologised and given assurances that he supported the council's anti-racist policy. The Committee accepted Sharp's apology and plan no disciplinary action.

The editor of Police says: "Some may ... contrast the lack of action in Mr Sharp's case with what has happened to officers of much lower rank". This is a reference to Inspector Peter Johnson who retired from the police three days after making a remark about "Nig-nogs; our coloured brethren..." in 1985; and to a Commander in the Metropolitan Police briefing officers for the Notting Hill Carnival who spoke of "coons" - he promptly went sick and after many months retired on a pension. As Police observed Mr Sharp, head of the second largest police force in the UK is no stranger to the issue of relations between the police and the black community, "he was, after all, Deputy Chief Constable of the West Midlands when half of Handsworth went up in flames in 1985."

Guardian 17.3.92; Police Review 27.3.92; Police April 1992.