Police force in Henry Nowak case went on diversity course ‘that controlled and pressured’ them to adopt certain ideas
One in seven officers and staff who took the Inclusion Matters training said they did not feel free to share their views, a survey suggested.
Police officers in the force which handcuffed Henry Nowak as he lay dying admitted in a survey it felt 'controlled and pressured' during diversity training, reports claim.
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After day-long training, Hampshire Police officers completed an evaluation form for the 'Inclusion Matters' course.
According to The Telegraph, more than one in seven officers who completed the training reported feeling pressure "to be certain ways" during the course.
The course reportedly tackled topics including racism, unconscious bias and "the importance of being an ally".
The survey has come to light as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary face accusations of "two-tier policing" in the wake of student Henry Nowak's murder.
The Nowak family has called for his death not to be used to whip up division or tensions.
Read More: Sadiq Khan accuses Farage and Tories of using Henry Nowak's death for political ends
Henry, 18, was handcuffed to the ground as he lay dying after being stabbed by killer Vickrum Digwa.
The decision by attending officers to handcuff Nowak and treat Digwa initially as a victim has led to allegations of an anti-white bias within policing in the UK.
Hampshire Constabulary have denied all claims of "two-tier policing" made in the wake of Nowak's murder.
A University of Reading study of the course assessed the effectiveness of the course and found that 15.5% of those surveyed felt that they had been "controlled and pressured to be certain ways".
6,250 officers and staff took part in the training.
Of the respondents, 14.3% said that “if I made a mistake, it would have been held against me”. Almost 20% suggested “I felt I would have been rejected for saying the wrong thing”.
The study, reported by The Telegraph, surveyed more than 2,500 staff at the force, including more than 1,000 officers.
Jack Straw, the former home secretary who oversaw the 1999 Macpherson Inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence murder, told The Telegraph that anti-racism guidelines had now gone “too far”.
He told the newspaper: “Plainly much greater care has got to be taken with the guidance that is issued and probably less notice of rather vocal pressure groups sometimes.
“Things were out of kilter at the time of the Macpherson report. There was no question about that but sometimes you get reactions which go too far the other way. That’s obviously happened here.”
On Wednesday, Hampshire Police Chief Constable Alexis Boon apologised to Henry Nowak's family over the handcuffing of their son moments before his death.
Boon insisted that he would not resign over the case and is awaiting the outcome of the independent investigation to determine "what we should do differently".
Asked to reflect on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's call for "pure cold rage" from the public, with the police chief insisted it was "not for me" to comment on the remarks of specific politicians.
However, he added that politicians have a "level of responsibility" when it comes to their words.
The revelations come after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) implored the public not to speculate about their investigation into Nowak's death.
IOPC engagement director Derrick Campbell said: “We are acutely aware of the public interest in this case.
“We would respectfully ask people to stop speculating on an ongoing live investigation.
“This investigation is going to fully establish the circumstances of the case including whether there may be misconduct on the part of any of the officers involved.
“The ongoing commentary about the evidence and speculation risks prejudicing any potential processes and preventing Henry Nowak’s family getting the answers they deserve.”