Police Inspector sues Greater Manchester Police after failing 'Riot Test'

OutlawPete

.. and wins!

The 'riot test' in question is designed to show if an officer is fit enough to meet a standard that has been set for decades (with regards to policing riots) and obviously is in place with members of the public's safety in mind, not to mention that of fellow officers. The Inspector sued Greater Manchester Police on grounds of sex & age discrimination, won .. and will be awarded around £30,000!

Woman inspector 'humiliated' by failing riot test wins up to £30k!

For 30 years it has been used to test the fitness of officers who police riots and other outbreaks of serious public disorder.
The so-called 'shield run' involves officers covering a distance of 500 metres in less than two minutes, 45 seconds while wearing full riot gear and carrying a shield.
But when Inspector Diane Bamber, 51, failed to meet the time limit, she claimed she had been left humiliated.

She brought a sex and age discrimination case against her force, Greater Manchester Police, and now stands to win up to £30,000 after an employment tribunal ruled in her favour.

Officers have to be able to run a distance of 500 metres in two minutes, 45 seconds in full riot gear

The landmark case has opened the door for thousands of other women officers to claim payouts and has triggered a review of specialist police training across the country.
Insp Bamber, a serving officer for more than 30 years who still works for Greater Manchester Police, attended an Initial Public Order Commanders' Course in Lancashire in November 2008.

She complained to the tribunal that prior to the course starting she had been led to believe that she would not have to take part in the shield run. But on the day of the test, Insp Bamber was informed that all officers who wanted to be considered for events where trouble was a possibility would have to pass it.
She agreed to run but she did not finish in the allotted time. Her failure meant she could not complete the rest of the training course.
When Insp Bamber applied to retake the shield run, it is alleged that one of her colleagues remarked: 'She's got no f****** chance.'
In fact she did pass at the second attempt several months later – after Greater Manchester Police made it easier by raising the time limit to three minutes.

The tribunal heard that on the second occasion, Insp Bamber gave herself the equivalent of an extra 20 seconds by starting at the front of the group. Previously, she had started at the back but the clock starts when the first person sets off.

In her ruling, Judge Hilary Slater said Insp Bamber's claims of indirect sex and age discrimination were 'well-founded'.
Noting that the officer had 'suffered humiliation at being sent away from the course', Judge Slater added: 'The tribunal concludes that the claimant was put at the disadvantage suffered by women and persons of her age group in that she failed the test and was not able to complete the training.'
The shield run was first introduced in the Eighties when Scotland Yard used it to test the fitness of officers policing the Notting Hill Carnival. Greater Manchester Police also conducted the runs for 30 years but has now dropped them.

The Mail on Sunday understands that the Association of Chief Police Officers is now reviewing the lawfulness of the physical training formats for 13 specialist operational roles, including those for firearms officers, which could discriminate against women and older officers.
Last night Tory MP Robert Halfon said: 'At a time when forces face enormous challenges and need to do all they can to protect frontline service, it is bizarre they are being forced to use taxpayers' money to pay compensation in cases such as these.'
The level of compensation will be set later this month.

Source

So with that in mind, I am suing Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club as they have refused me entry this year based on the discriminatory grounds that I don't meet a certain "standard of play" :mad:

ciff

Well this has opened a can of worms in which I can see many women taking advantage of. At the risk of turning into a sexism issue but if that had been a man complaining he'd have been told to bugger off.

The poor sensitive lady gets 30,000 grand because she wasn't fit, quick enough to finish the original course on time and was left humiliated. Yeah right.

mikemac

And she in an Inspector, how is she going to lead tough sergeants who won't respect her or young recruits who look to her for leadership.

She can keep her 30k but she'll be stuck into some back office doing paperwork for the rest of her career

A sergeant would laugh in her face if she gave orders at a riot

OutlawPete

The thing is, even if this was a guy, who was just suing on the 'age discrimination' part of this, it would be a nonsense. Changing standards that have bet set for public safety reasons is scandalous. It's not just political correctness gone mad, it's political correctness gone stark raving bonkers.

MagicSean

Quite the blow for equality and an emarassment for womens rights movement.

amacachi

Woman judge, nuff said.

biko

amacachi wrote: »

Woman judge, nuff said.

Take it to conspiracy forum

Mike 1972

The Mail on Sunday understands

Does not compute

mgmt

Political Correctness gone too far. If you can't pass the test, then you are unfit for the job and a danger to others. Simple.

It reminds me of another case involving the FDNY. Too few blacks were passing the entrance exams so a US federal judged deemed the exams to be discriminatory. Claiming different education standards.
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-22/justice/firefighter.discrimination_1_white-firefighters-hispanic-firefighters-exams?_s=PM:CRIME

Gunsfortoys

I wonder how much she would have gotten for getting her nose broke at a riot?

PK2008

Send her to Belfast for the Marching season......

Redlion

It's unbelievable that they gave her 30 grand, especially considering British police forces are taking a financial battering at the moment.

By the way, I never understood how humiliation be measured in monetary terms. Do they have a chart ranging from defamation of character to shatting yourself at your own wedding?

galwayrush

A friend of mine works in a recruitement agency, they needed to recruit a person for a council in Manchester to inspect roofs in council houses, a guy in a wheelchair got the job because he threatened to sue if he didn't because he claimed he had all necessary qualifications bar working legs..:pac:
Cost the council a fortune in hiring a special mobile crane to enable him to inspect the roofs.

Bluefoam

to shitting yourself at your own wedding?

Grammar corrected

DeVore

Equality at some times, preferential treatment at others.


DeV.

Bosco boy

Next riot put her on the front line and she may realise the reason there are fitness levels and standards, she'll probally get more money afterwards for post tramautic stress, some women in police forces are excellent but in my opinion most are looking for and angle or a cop out from the day they join. But the political correct world we live in serves us well alright!

mgmt

I wonder what the gender breakdown of gardai behind desks in the Garda Depot.

RMD

One thing that really wrecks my head is easier targets for women in security services such as police and armed forces.

You're either good enough to meet the time or not regardless of sex. If you can't meet a realistic time (500m in 165 seconds) it's not because you're a women or 51 years old, it's because you're an incapable lazy shít. It's not hard to run that distance even with a lot of weight on (20-30kg), put in the work and you'll breeze it. PC crap gone mad. Are they supposed to make allowances for her when they have to rush a group of rioters? "Hold on folks, we have to wait for the inspector!!!".

Son Of A Vidic

OutlawPete wrote: »

The thing is, even if this was a guy, who was just suing on the 'age discrimination' part of this, it would be a nonsense. Changing standards that have bet set for public safety reasons is scandalous. It's not just political correctness gone mad, it's political correctness gone stark raving bonkers.

Absolutely, gender is irrelevant here. An established test parameter has been set. So if you fail to meet the requirements, then that is the fault of the individual concerned not the test itself. Too right she should feel humiliated, she fail the bloody test ffs! So now the test has been redesigned to prevent an individual becoming ashamed or humiliated through failure. But shouldn't that have been her motivation to pass in the first place?

minidazzler

Rioters don't discriminate at who they are throwing rocks at so the tests shouldn't either. And they didn't. If there is a fitness standard it should be kept, given that being old or female is not gonna stop you getting the **** kicked out of you. She's a plonker TBH.

Overheal

RMD wrote: »

One thing that really wrecks my head is easier targets for women in security services such as police and armed forces.

What really confuses me about that is some purse-snatchers that will run a little bit slower if they are being chased by a woman cop.


Oh wait, that doesn't happen.

suicide_circus

If I was her, I'd predict I diet.

Dudess

Bosco boy wrote: »

some women in police forces are excellent but in my opinion most are looking for and angle or a cop out from the day they join.

What's opinion got to do with it? It's either a fact or it isn't - and unless you're a mind-reader you eh... don't know.

OT: Yes, excessive political correctness is a huge problem in parts of the UK public sector.

Monty Burnz

DeVore wrote: »

Equality at some times, preferential treatment at others.


DeV.

Indeed. I wonder how bad things have to get before we see a serious men's movement starting off? I'm all for equality, but that's not what we are getting.

Dudess

As long as men say stuff like "I wonder how bad things have to get before we see a serious men's movement starting off?" rather than actually doing anything, a long time I'd imagine...

Incidentally, there's a domestic abuse centre for men in Navan (an excellent service) started by... a woman.

suicide_circus

Dudess wrote: »

Incidentally, there's a domestic abuse centre for men in Navan (an excellent service) started by... a woman.

Why is it relevant that a woman started of??? Thats a pretty sexist thing to point out.

Fukuyama

Have I got this straight?

She spent too many hours sitting around eating pies. When the time came to pass the test, the officer failed due to lack of fitness.

This is not down to gender or age. I'm sure there are 50+ female officers who are more than capable of passing.

Yet she is suing because she feels humiliated that she failed?

Also, she'd be giving orders in a riot. So when there's bricks, stones, bottles and petrol bombs incoming and the cops are taking a hammering; they'd have nobody to lead them because tubs is still catching up!! :eek:

Last time I checked angry mobs don't tend to hold back and wait for aul lady cops to catch their breath. It's go go go and she's not able for it. Case closed.

Fukuyama

suicide_circus wrote: »

Why is it relevant that a woman started of??? Thats a pretty sexist thing to point out.

No it's not. It's stating a fact. Don't sue the poster whatever you do... :rolleyes:

Gunsfortoys

Dudess wrote: »

Incidentally, there's a domestic abuse centre for men in Navan (an excellent service) started by... a woman.

What difference does it make that it was a woman that set it up?

Dudess

Why wasn't it started by a man though? On these threads there are always the same old "Equality - it's an illusion", "If it was a man, there would be x reaction" whingey comments. Why not be pro-active so, instead of moaning on the internet?

I don't believe in equality (in its crudest sense) across the board anyway as men and women are different - biology in the first place is "sexist": men can't have babies, men can't feed babies with their bodies, women don't have the same physical strength as men etc - so these looney cases that appear to be for the sake of equality aren't representative of all women and what all women want.

Gunsfortoys

Dudess wrote: »

Why wasn't it started by a man though? On these threads there are always the same old "Equality - it's an illusion", "If it was a man, there would be x reaction" whingey comments. Why not be pro-active so, instead of moaning on the internet?

I don't believe in equality (in its crudest sense) across the board anyway as men and women are different - biology in the first place is "sexist": men can't have babies, men can't feed babies with their bodies, women don't have the same physical strength as men etc - so these looney cases that appear to be for the sake of equality aren't representative of all women and what all women want.

What the hell hs this got to do with the OP?!?!

Dudess

Not the OP, subsequent comments in relation to the equality question.

Fukuyama

Dudess wrote: »

Why wasn't it started by a man though? On these threads there are always the same old "Equality - it's an illusion", "If it was a man, there would be x reaction" whingey comments. Why not be pro-active so, instead of moaning on the internet?

Because a woman had the balls to do it?

OutlawPete

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Indeed. I wonder how bad things have to get before we see a serious men's movement starting off? I'm all for equality, but that's not what we are getting.

There are many many men's rights groups, tons of them, in Ireland, the UK and beyond. However, nobody is listening as the western world is too far left at this stage. Listening to what women's rights groups want is all that matters, they have power to lobby legislators and dictate social policy. Men's groups are literately laughed at when they attempt the same. There is no consequence of not listening to them, whereas if women's rights groups are not listened to: media storm, and so they get want they want, even if it is something which creates discrimination and inequality. Could be a thousand times more men's rights groups and not a hill of beans difference would it make. Hence the reason you see Spiderman climbing cranes

Monty Burnz

Dean0088 wrote: »

This is not down to gender or age. I'm sure there are 50+ female officers who are more than capable of passing.

Here's Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon last year. She's 55.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMF3rfLVgM8

Monty Burnz

Dudess wrote: »

Why wasn't it started by a man though? On these threads there are always the same old "Equality - it's an illusion", "If it was a man, there would be x reaction" whingey comments. Why not be pro-active so, instead of moaning on the internet?

Ok, who is going to throw themselves under the Queen's horse at the Derby?

Dudess

OutlawPete wrote: »

There are many many men's rights groups, tons of them, in Ireland, the UK and beyond. However, nobody is listening as the western world is too far left at this stage.

Why is the left of relevance? Is being an advocate of men's rights to the right?

OutlawPete

Dudess wrote: »

Why is the left of relevance? Is being an advocate of men's rights to the right?

That can't be a serious question.

Odysseus

Dudess wrote: »

Why wasn't it started by a man though? On these threads there are always the same old "Equality - it's an illusion", "If it was a man, there would be x reaction" whingey comments. Why not be pro-active so, instead of moaning on the internet?

I know we are OT on this but my thoughts on your question are; I honestly don't know, but I do know that a lot of people even professionals have issues about males been involved in the care of female domestic abuse victims, usually along the lines of they are are better off seeing a female. I have to encounter this a lot in my own work where other professionals think that a female victim of sexual/domestic violence should only be seen by a female. If that is what the person wants that is fine, but a female for the sake of it no, and I have never have any complaints off my clients.

So a long way of getting to my point is: as it can be difficult for a male to gain experience in this area, maybe apart from other factors, she had the experience and forthought to start it up. Sorry it took so long to get my point across, but the females understanding sexual/domestic violence better than a male is a bearbug of mine.

Dudess

But what's the relevance of things going to the left? Is it not left-wing to be an advocate of men's rights? I'd have thought it could be...

OutlawPete

Dudess wrote: »

But what's the relevance of things going to the left? Is it not left-wing to be an advocate of men's rights? I'd have thought it could be...

ANYTHING can be left-wing, just depends on what the current situation is. If it is "political correct" to do so, then politicians will do it. If it's not, they won't and it will be a long while before it is considered PC to make sure men have equal rights to women, or to be more precise, to be seen to be doing something which is attempting to make sure men have equal rights to women. As that is what has been going on, a lot of legislation being passed and court decisions being made in an effort to look as if they are doing the "right thing" - hence THIS court decision. Even though it's a nonsense, nobody really cares, as the "right thing" is being done and it is that which liberals are best at. Take a look at the crap Harriet Harman tried to bring in and WAS bringing in until the torries got back in.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7474801.stm

Bosco boy

Dudess wrote: »

What's opinion got to do with it? It's either a fact or it isn't - and unless you're a mind-reader you eh... don't know.

OT: Yes, excessive political correctness is a huge problem in parts of the UK public sector.

My opinon is based on my experience, like it or not!

Dudess

Such as?

Mrmoe

That judgement is a lot of cack and makes you wonder how anyone could even contemplate such a decision, it flies in the face of logic and understanding.

Bosco boy

Dudess wrote: »

Such as?

My experiences

amacca

Redlion wrote: »

By the way, I never understood how humiliation be measured in monetary terms. Do they have a chart ranging from defamation of character to shatting yourself at your own wedding?

The statute book should state that there is a mandatory public award of one punt for that last one

just to add to the humiliation

Dudess

Bosco boy wrote: »

My experiences

Oh right, you can't answer. Anyhoo "Most female police officers yadda yadda".

"Can you imagine if that was said by a woman about male police officers" etc.

(Just to balance the whingeing like...)

Bosco boy

Dudess wrote: »

Oh right, you can't answer. Anyhoo "Most female police officers yadda yadda".

"Can you imagine if that was said by a woman about male police officers" etc.

(Just to balance the whingeing like...)

I know better than to get into an arguement with the PC brigrade, it's a bit like arguing with a fool they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!

Overheal

Bosco boy wrote: »

I know better than to get into an arguement with the PC brigrade, it's a bit like arguing with a fool they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!

Im rubber and youre glue?

Dudess

Haha, you still can't answer - and you used the dumb phrase "PC brigade", and in relation to someone merely disagreeing with you and your unsubstantiated, unfair claim!

Wolfe Tone

So basically she failed because she is a tubster but because she is a woman its somehow unfair?