Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper apologised for past discrimination toward members of the LGBT community in a letter responding to human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
In her response letter on Friday, February 23, Chief Roper wrote: “It is clear that in the past, the implementation of the Law - and the discretion we are given as Police Officers in the policing of the Law - was in some cases misused and misapplied, whether through processes, systems or behaviour.
“I have no doubt that this means there will have been prejudiced behaviour across the history of policing where we haven’t got things right and which will have caused discrimination and hurt to many minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. This saddens me deeply and I am truly sorry for the harm caused, both to my internal colleagues, and to our communities.”
Chief Roper’s statement is in response to the Peter Tatchell Foundation’s #ApologiseNow campaign, which has sent letters to multiple chief constables across the country urging them to apologise for police forces’ past treatment of LGBT people.
Chief Roper is the 11th chief constable to issue such a statement in response to the campaign. Similar apologies have been issued by the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Gwent, Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia and Nottinghamshire forces.
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