Central Communications Command - Controversy Over Racial Imbalance and Recruitment Targets

Controversy Over Racial Imbalance and Recruitment Targets

Approximately 10% of staff at the centres are Police Officers, while the remainder are civilian staff. Central Communications Command staff, particularly at supervisor level and above, are disproportionately white. Although positive discrimination on grounds of race or gender is illegal in the UK, the Central Communications Command nonetheless uses targets for recruitment, leading to some controversy. In 2006 the targets for new recruitment for civilian staff were 21% non-white and 50% female (civilian), and 7% non-white and 22.5% female (police officers). The recruitment targets of 21% & 7% are still well below the 29% of London residents classing themselves as non-white in the 2001 census.