‘Speaking out is the best way to take hold of the narrative and explain how to deal with these situations’
Humberside Police officer PC Sham McGrory(Image: Martis Media)
A Humberside Police officer has told how she has endured racial abuse ever since joining up eight years ago – and says racism on duty is getting worse, not better. PC Sham McGrory has shared her experiences as part of the Humberside Police Federation campaign – Protect The Protectors: Stop Racism Against Police – a campaign shining a light on racial abuse officers are subjected to in the line of duty.
PC McGrory joined the force in 2018 and says she immediately suffered incidents of racial abuse while on patrol. She said: “I experienced quite a volume of racial abuse incidents, and my colleagues didn’t really know how to support me.
“There were incidents where I didn’t even have hold of a suspect, I was just present to support colleagues, and somebody turned to me and immediately made remarks. They made comments about the colour of my skin, made animal noises, like monkey noises. The stuff that’s come out of people’s mouths – my colleagues didn’t know what to say or how to react. That’s quite difficult in itself.”
PC McGrory’s message to officers who witness their colleague being racially abused is to stand up to it, saying: “I think sometimes my colleagues are just shocked. But I’ve had very supportive colleagues as well, who have taken positive action. People should take positive action immediately. Don’t wait for your colleague [who is being abused] to step in and be the first person to say something.”
She said it may be appropriate to take someone away from a dangerous situation in some cases, but only if they want to step back: “You’ve got a police officer in front of you who’s capable of doing a job. So let them do their job, but with the backing of their colleagues.”
PC McGrory said that racial abuse from members of the public seemed to have worsened in the eight years she’s been with Humberside Police, with people calling her the N-word or saying that she was “filthy”.
She is currently working on the missing persons team. A month ago she located a vulnerable missing child and encouraged her to come home, but the child lashed out at her.
She recalled: “She started kicking me, started calling me racial slurs, and then tried to push away from us. It’s difficult, especially when it comes from children, because unfortunately, those children have probably grown up in an environment where it’s normal for them to hear people say those things. But it doesn’t make it any better. It’s more upsetting that kids think they can say things like that and fully understand what they’re saying, and how that’s going to impact someone.”
PC McGrory admits the ongoing abuse had an impact on her, adding: “I’m taken aback every time it happens. Shocked, really, that it still continues. It makes me angry.
“What’s it going to be like in 10 or 20 years’ time, if it escalates? Because obviously there’s a lot going on in the world, and people’s perspectives of a person of colour or somebody who’s different is not necessarily going in the right direction.”
The officer has reported racist incidents to the force, and in some cases there has been a charge to call or a youth referral, but in other cases nothing has come of it. However, she said the support from the force was improving and that the Federation was proactively supportive.
PC McGrory says the Protect The Protectors: Stop Racism Against Police campaign is an important one, as it highlights the abuse police officers are suffering and makes sure colleagues know how to react when they witness racial abuse.
She added: “If we don’t make a stand, then who else is going to? It’ll just continue to get worse or get brushed under the carpet. Speaking out about this is the best way to take hold of the narrative and explain how to deal with these situations instead of having people not knowing how to help or support us.”
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