Working together towards community cohesion.

Aims & Objectives

Assist West Yorkshire Police deliver a better service to all communities by promoting a greater understanding of Islam within the organisation and the wider community, thereby contributing to community cohesion.
Provide a forum for Muslims in the police, and support their religious views and welfare needs, with a view to improving their working environment.
Assist in the recruitment, retention and progression of Muslim officers and staff and to assist in the creation of a fair and just working environment.
Advise and consult West Yorkshire Police regarding Muslim issues and operational benefits.

Muslims in West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire is an extremely diverse community with Muslims representing 14.5% of the overall population. This is an average percentage taken from the five districts within the county. These districts are Bradford (30.5%), Calderdale (9.5%), Kirklees (18.5%), Leeds (7.8%) and Wakefield (3.2%).

West Yorkshire Police aims to be representative of the community. The workforce is diverse with many Muslims working in a variety of different roles. Posts range from operational policing, to specialist positions such as criminal investigation, forensics, financial investigations and digital policing. There are also Muslims represented at higher levels within senior leadership teams and strategic command. These are just some examples of the type of roles that Muslims do within West Yorkshire Police.

What is AMP?

In 2009, West Yorkshire Association of Muslim Police (AMP) was established to support Muslims officers and staff within policing. AMP are working together with West Yorkshire Police to create an inclusive environment for all Muslims. Below are some examples of workplace adjustments that have been made over the years:

Prayer and ablution facilities in police stations that can be used to perform daily prayers.
Support to attend Friday Jummah prayers to fulfil religious obligations.
Shift adjustments during Ramadan to support the welfare of officers and staff fasting.
Bespoke uniform designs such as the hijab and tunic to meet religious needs.

AMP also deliver regular presentations within West Yorkshire Police, providing a better understanding of Islam and the challenges faced by many Muslims such as Islamophobia. The network helps members with development through coaching and mentoring as well as providing welfare support for those that may be going through difficult times.

Positive Action

As part of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy in West Yorkshire Police, Positive Action is used as a tool to support the recruitment, retention and progression of our workforce. It helps us build a stronger, more united police force that connects with the people we serve.

Positive Action is about attracting, developing and retaining talent from under-represented groups such as those from the Muslim community

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What is the Evolve programme?

Evolve is a development programme for staff who are from an ethnic minority background. It is the result of a survey carried out in Summer 2022, which identified a need to empower ethnic minority staff to develop their confidence and resilience in the workplace.

The pilot programme started in January 2023, and over the course of the year, 38 participants will be involved in a series of different sessions and workshops.

Why do we need an Evolve programme?

We want people who feel empowered, not disadvantaged, by their uniqueness.

45% of our ethnic minority staff who participated in last year’s survey reported having a negative experience in the workplace, which they attributed to their ethnicity. Participants shared experiences of receiving racial abuse. Even though 61% of respondents expressed an interest in promotion, many were put off due to there being a lack of high-ranking ethnic minority police officers and staff, and concerns about being accused of only being successful at promotion because of their ethnicity.

The Evolve programme provides a safe space for participants to share, learn, and grow. It will help our ethnic minority officers and staff develop their emotional intelligence, confidence, skills, and self-belief to overcome any barriers they face, and reach their full potential in the workplace.

Want to join West Yorkshire AMP?

To be a member of West Yorkshire AMP you need to work for West Yorkshire Police as a police officer, police staff, volunteer or special.

If you are interested in applying for a role within West Yorkshire Police or would like to transfer in from another force, please get in contact to speak to a member of our team to discuss options.

positive.action@westyorkshire.police.uk

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