Joël (47), inspector at the Groningen police, shares his experience with racism and discrimination within the force on the Instagram page of the national police. The reason for this is the documentary ‘The Blue Family’.
Joël: ,,’I only know black men with dreadlocks who are drug dealers.’ That’s what my colleague said when I started as one of the few black police officers at the Groningen police station. He very sincerely: “You are the first I encounter as a cop.” That says something about his image. He grew up in a certain area, in a certain school and didn’t know any better.”
‘She saw me as an arrestee’
And what about that time when Joël brought a detainee to the cell complex? “My colleague and I were in civilian clothes. My ID card was hanging on my pants. I was neatly dressed and next to me stood the detainee: a white man in handcuffs. “You just stand there,” the detention officer told me. I followed the order because I thought she needed something. Until I realized she mistook me for the detainee. That hurt. Without a uniform, some colleagues consider me more a criminal than a colleague.”
Joël has been working for the police for 15 years. During that time he has experienced more discrimination. “That is painful, but I have turned it into motivation. I will talk to any colleague who is interested in the subject. What struck me is that some people immediately believed me. But there was also a group that says: wasn’t it your fault? Well. Just because you can’t imagine it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”
‘My wife and children were shocked’
In the past year, awareness of this subject has gained momentum within the police. This is partly due to the documentary The Blue Family . In it, officers shared their experiences about racism within the police. Joël: “That was recognizable for me. I watched it with my wife and children and they were shocked. They wondered if it was the same with me. So yes. But it was only part of the story.”
All the more reason for Joël to be proud of the colleagues who speak out in the film. “The documentary is a gift to the organization. There were already great initiatives within the organization to stimulate inclusivity, after the documentary there were even more. I know colleagues who are now trying harder to contribute to this. They no longer make certain jokes and address others on discriminatory remarks. That’s great, we have to tackle it together.”
‘Don’t look away’
According to Joël, what gives hope is the statement that the police top gave in response to the documentary. “It contained the phrase ‘don’t look away’. That’s what it’s about. They recognize that bad behavior has been accepted for too long. With 60,000 agents there is always a bad apple in between. But what matters is what you do with those rotten apples in the fruit basket. If you don’t deal with those, the rest will rot with them.”
This year Joël transferred to the ‘Police for Everyone’ team. “We are working on a more diverse and inclusive police force. To a safe organization for our colleagues. For example, we have established clear (conduct) rules and agreements for colleagues. And we’ve agreed what happens if someone doesn’t comply. In addition, we help managers to discuss difficult topics and how they can limit undesirable behaviour. Look: we have the power to take away someone’s freedom. To enter a home. To use force. That creates obligations.”
Main lesson
All in all, an exciting year for Joël, in which he learned a lot. “The most important lesson is that we all have a different entry point. At first I thought: how can you not understand that this is racist? Do you live under a rock? Then I became sad about a colleague who sees all black people with dreadlocks as dealers. Now I know that we all have a different perception of the world.”
“Where and how we grew up shaped our world view. If you went to a school with only white children, a black child is strange. What we don’t know we find exciting or scary. But when you get to know each other you embrace the differences. Then you become inclusive. That’s why I don’t get tired of people who don’t get it yet. That doesn’t make them a bad person. It’s about wanting to listen, acknowledge and learn.”
Finally: “That is why we need to talk about it again. It is important that experiences are shared. So that it becomes even clearer that something needs to change. That’s not fast. Way too slow, in my opinion. But every step towards an inclusive world is one.”