THE fall-out from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry has affected police forces throughout the country. Ethnic minority officers have finally become an essential part of policing in Lancashire and attempts are being made to ensure that forces throughout the country recruit them in the right numbers. Police chiefs are also trying to alter attitudes which have tainted the force's image in the past. MICHAEL RIBBECK reports A BIG change looks set to sweep through the ranks of Lancashire's police force.

The aim is to fundamentally alter the attitudes of their officers and recruit more Asian officers.

The murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has had a huge impact on shaping attitudes towards policing across the country.

The findings of the subsequent inquiry and a determination to change the culture of the police are about to be felt in East Lancashire.

A radical rethink on recruitment policies aims to reshape the force forever.

A string of ground-breaking measures are to be given a trial run in Blackburn over the next three months and if they prove to be a success the policies will introduced across Lancashire. The county's constabulary long ago realised it had a problem getting people from ethnic minorities to join up.

Bosses are also aiming to attract more officers committed to serving their community.

Attitudes towards women and ethnic minorities which would have been acceptable 10 years ago are to be swept aside, according to the bosses at Hutton headquarters..

Despite having the country's highest-ranking Asian police officer in Assistant Chief Constable Tarique Ghaffur, Lancashire's ethnic recruitment statistics have stayed at a constant low.

East Lancashire has some of the highest concentrations of Asian people in the country but the majority turn their backs on a career with the police. Of the 3,257 police officers in Lancashire, just 39 are from ethnic minorities. That figure is set to fall next month when Tarique Ghaffur leaves for a new job.

Pressure on the police to tackle the problem has increased following an announcement by Home Secretary Jack Straw last week.

The Blackburn MP has set every police force in the country tough recruitment targets based on the ethnic make-up of their local population.

Lancashire has been set one of the hardest tests in Britain and has been told to triple its ethnic minority officers over the next 10 years.

Recruitment manager Thelma Aye was appointed last November.

She has a degree in psychology and has worked as a recruitment expert in the private sector for more than 20 years.

She said: "We have known for a long time that there has been a problem getting people from ethnic minorities to join the police.

"The Stephen Lawrence inquiry has helped to speed things but there has been an acceptance that change was needed for some time."

Although police chiefs will not go as far as saying Lancashire has a racist force, they recognise that some policies need to be changed.

Recruitment procedures have always favoured white candidates and no effort has ever been made to actively attract members of ethnic minorities. But now Chief Constable Pauline Clare is ready to make a bold statement of intent.

A major publicity campaign is planned, along with a string of community events in Blackburn.

Mrs Aye said: "For some reason the Asian community has never seen the police force as a career opportunity.

"But in many ways the qualities we are looking for are mirrored in the Muslim faith.

"We want people who want to serve the community they come from with integrity and honesty. We are on the look-out for problem solvers who can cope with stressful and difficult situations."

She added: "There are certain types of people who we definitely want to weed out.

"The police have some of the strictest selection procedures in the country and we are looking to weed out the aggressive types.

"There is no place in the force for people who join up because they are looking for a good fight on a Saturday night."

The qualities demanded by the police force, coupled with the need to increase the number of Asian officers, does raise doubts among critics.

Detractors claim that the calibre of police officers in Lancashire will be undermined but Thelma Aye will not accept the argument.

She said: "We are not looking at positive discrimination and I see no reason why the quality of recruits will fall.

"We are looking to change attitudes and it is a massive job but there is no reason why we cannot succeed."

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