ABSTRACT
I am concerned with the wider interpretations of policing and the effects this has had on thinking about public protection, in particular threats to minority groups. This chapter explores some of the thinking that has contributed to the development of risk analysis and safety measures in policing. It is concerned with both groups and individuals, although it is specifically about minority groups as, it is argued, this has relevance for all. The mantra used was ‘everyone benefits’. It uses three main exemplars: the black minority ethnic (BME) community, the Jewish community, and some aspects of the Northern Irish (NI) experiences. This is a huge and dynamic topic, to which this chapter makes a limited contribution. However, it is largely based upon my experiences as a police officer concerned with these matters for 37 years; as a researcher into the practical lessons from miscarriages of justice and other causes célèbres; as a commissioner for certain aspects of post conflict in Northern Ireland from 2003 to the present; and finally from my more recent career as independent chair of multi-agency and multi-minority advisory groups concerned with drugs and hate crimes.
