Police Information

POLICE SEXISM IN RETIREMENT

Mon, May 21, 2001

Source:

Police Sexism Extended to Retired Officers

 

Retired women detectives have been banned from joining an association for former Metropolitan Police CID officers. The decision to exclude women was condemned yesterday by the British Association of Women Police, as "archaic" and a retrograde step that belittled the role of women in policing. 

The Association of Ex-CID Officers of the Metropolitan Police, which was set up in 1950, voted to maintain its men-only status. The vote registered 220 who wanted to exclude women, 127 in favour of women joining and 127 who had no opinion. 

Michael Cookson, the association's honorary secretary, told Police Review magazine: "Most of us are of a more senior age and very few of us have actually worked with women. "It was felt to be altogether more preferable to leave things just as they are ... it's nice to have a chaps' day out and leave the wives at home." 

The association's stated objective is "to maintain the comradeship enjoyed in the CID". Mr Cookson predicted women would be granted membership within the next five to 10 years. In recent years the CID has fought to change its macho image. The Met has 534 women CID officers out of 4,084.

Irene Divine, national co-ordinator of the women's police association, which includes men, said: "We very much regret this archaic, outdated decision not to allow women officers to join, should they choose. It is sad that the role played by women in crime investigation in the 26 years since the Sex Discrimination Act has apparently been disregarded by this group. What are they afraid of?" Ms Divine said her group would back any women who challenged the Ex-CID association's rules.

 

Mr Cookson said the group did not fall foul of the Sex Discrimination Act because under current legislation an association, which met at licensed premises instead of a clubhouse, was free to decide on its own membership.

 

A former inspector, Mary Williams, said she inquired about joining when she retired from the CID in 1998, but was refused. She said it was "quite a knock back" to be ineligible because she was a woman. During her career, Ms Williams worked as the only female officer in Scotland Yards 40-strong central drugs squad. She said her colleagues would be appalled at the association's behaviour.