Mind your language, Essex police style (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Mind your language, Essex police style

10:27am Monday 26th October 2009

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LABELLING someone as a “black sheep” is banned, according to an Essex Police guide to appropriate language.

The force has revealed that all its officers are advised to read the TUC "Diversity in Diction, Equality in Action" document when they join.

Aimed at reducing racial, sexual or gender discrimination, the guide takes political correctness to the extreme.

One section, on how to refer to people of different race or colours, lists derogatory words that should never be used.

The same section also states: “Many words and phrases, whilst not offensive in themselves, carry heavy negative connotations. It is therefore important to avoid certain terms which use “black” to portray negativity.

“Terms such as black sheep of the family, blacklist, black mark and black look have no direct link to skin colour, but potentially serve to reinforce a negative view of all things black.”

It goes on to state that phrases such as “whiter than white” have the same effect by positively enforcing the image that white is good.

New officers should be reassured however, that black bin bag, blackboard, asking if someone has their tea “black or white” and stating that something is written in “black and white” are still acceptable.

The document also covers issues such as referring to women as girls, which it claims is “trivialising”, using endearments such as “love” or “pet”, which can “devalue or trivialise women and men”, and the problems associated with age.

Officers should avoid phrases such as “child” or “youngster” because they could have "connotations of inexperience, impetuosity, and unreliability or even dishonesty".

Words like “grandma”, “dear” and “geriatric” should be replaced with “older people” when their age must be referred to.

Donna Veasey, a spokesman for Essex Police, said: “Essex Police does not publish a list but there is a document published by the TUC 'Diversity in Diction, Equality in Action' which helps explain some terminology which we advise new joiners that they may wish to look at via the Internet.

“The main document used by Essex Police is our statement on 'Dignity at work' which was re-issued January this year to every officer and member of staff.”

She added that the force is also bound by the statutory requirements of the Police Conduct Regulations following the Taylor Reforms, although they do not contain a “prescriptive list of language”.

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