The tribunal at Teeside Magistrates' Court heard how a police force with no black officers allegedly barred an Asian constable's promotion aspirations while “incompetent white officers” prospered and forged ahead.
Zaheer Ahmed, who is of Pakistani origin, spent 23 years working for North Yorkshire Police. He claimed that white police officers were promoted, some to more senior positions, and hence the only explanation for him not prospering in his career was his race.
The tribunal heard that in January 2014, Ahmed applied for a custody sergeant role, however, he was told that he did not suit this role as he did not have enough experience. Ahmed claims that other “less experienced, less qualified, white” peers were assisted in applying for the exact position.
In a witness statement, Ahmed stated, “North Yorkshire Police are concerned with appearing as though they care about tackling the issue of lack of diversity, but their actions do not support this. As of March 31, North Yorkshire Police did not have a single black officer on its force.”
Ahmed also stated that in 2016, his application for a promotion was rejected due to concerns with his performance. This, he said, was “a shock and a blow”.
“I was getting good feedback from my superiors, was achieving competent and even exceeding expectations in some areas – I could not understand why it was only during the promotion process that I was being flagged as having development needs. I did not receive a full explanation for the reason I was the only officer in North Yorkshire to be blocked. I was hurt by the discriminatory treatment that I had received over the years – the extra restrictions, the lack of opportunity and support. I would be obstructed from progressing any further.”
The hearing continues.
