Report: English Police Officers “Barely Literate” Due To Lowering Entry Standards

A new report on the quality of police in England found that some officers are “barely literate because entry standards are so low.” The author suggests that these standards were lowered to allow for greater numbers of minority officers. However, now the lack of literacy is delaying proceedings and causing problems for judges and lawyers alike.

Tom Winsor, the lawyer reviewing police conditions, noted that officers are now routinely the subject of derision as uneducated and illiterate among lawyers.

There has long been a controversy over lowering standards in affirmative action programs for firefighters and police in the United States.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of white firefighters challenging preferential treatment for minorities. Those firefighters recently received $2 million in damages.

I have always opposed the lowering standards for police officers and fire fighters to achieve higher numbers of minority personnel. I favor greater recruitment efforts, but lowering the standards is a poor way to achieve the goal of diversity. It also paints other minority officers in a bad and unfair light.

Source: Daily Mail