Tarique Ghaffur

Infobox Person
name = Tarique Ghaffur CBE QPM


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birth_date = birth year and age|1958
birth_place = Uganda
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nationality = British
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education = Keele University
Manchester Metropolitan University
employer = Metropolitan Police
occupation = Police officer
home_town = Manchester
title = Assistant Commissioner
salary = £180,000
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religion = Muslim
spouse = Married
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children = 2 children
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Tarique Ghaffur, CBE QPM (pronEng|təˈriːk ɡæˈfʊər) [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2006/08/how_to_say_tarique_ghaffur.html How to say: Tarique Ghaffur] , "BBC News", 7 August 2006.] is a high-ranking British police officer in London's Metropolitan Police Service. He is currently Assistant Commissioner–Central Operations.

Biography

Born in Uganda to Pakistani parents in 1958, Ghaffur and his family emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1972 after President Idi Amin forcibly expelled most of the country's minority South Asian population.

Two years later, in 1974, Ghaffur joined the newly-formed Greater Manchester Police, where he worked in uniform and as a CID detective. One of only two police officers from an ethnic background out of a force of over 6,000, Ghaffur asserted that the desk sergeant on his first day with the police refused him admission to the station as he did not believe he was a police officer. [John, Cindi: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5252030.stm Profile: Tarique Ghaffur] , "BBC News", 7 August 2006.]

Ghaffur rose through the ranks at the GMP, reaching the rank of Superintendent and transferring to Leicestershire Constabulary in 1989. He was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in Lancashire Constabulary. After reaching the rank of Deputy Chief Constable at Lancashire, he transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service in 1999 as a Deputy Assistant Commissioner and in 2000 served as Borough Commander of the City of Westminster.

In 2001, he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner, and since then has headed three of the Metropolitan Police's Operational Command Units: the Directorate of Performance, Review and Standards in 2001; the Specialist Crime Directorate from November 2002; and Central Operations from 2006.

Controversies

The UK's highest-ranking Asian Muslim police officer, he often comments on issues of racism in the police service, and has commented on alleged discrimination against Muslims as a factor inciting radical Islam. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5287282.stm Muslim Met chief gets 'hate mail'] , "BBC News", 25 August 2006.] In June 2008 he accused his own force of racism, claiming that, inter alia, he was not properly consulted over the proposed law involving 42-day detentions for terror suspects [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7473821.stm Top Asian officer in race claim] , "BBC News", 25 June 2008.] The MPS has rejected the claim of racism and said it would "robustly challenge" Mr Ghaffur's claim at any employment tribunal [cite news |first= David|last= Thomas |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Race-row policeman Tarique Ghaffur 'fears for his life' after death threats |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2656165/Race-row-policeman-Tarique-Ghaffur-fears-for-his-life-after-death-threats.html |work= Daily Telegraph |publisher= |date=2008-08-31 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] .

On 28 August 2008, Ghaffur held a press conference at which he accused the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, of racism and discrimination, and confirmed speculation that he would take Sir Ian and the MPS to an employment tribunal. [Dodd, Vikram: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/29/police.race Top Asian officer sets out race case and directly blames Met police chief] , "The Guardian", August 29, 2008.] In the following days, Ghaffur has stated, he received death threats, that he believes come (in part) from within the MPS. As a consequence he considered a leave of absence, and his lawyers hired a firm of private bodyguards to secure his safety. Although he has disclosed them in the media, Ghaffur has not reported these death threats to the police, claiming that he has lost faith in the ability and willingness of the police to protect him. [cite news |first= Mark |last= Townsend |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Met police 'bombard top officer with death threats |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/31/police.race?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews |work= The Observer |publisher= |date=2008-08-31 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] .

Education

Studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and graduated BA (Hons) in Public Administration and MA in Criminology.

Awards

Ghaffur was awarded a QPM (Queen's Police Medal) in 2001 for Services to Policing and he was also awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for Services to Policing in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3799475.stm Queen honours senior Met officer] , "BBC News", June 12, 2004.]

Tarique Ghaffur was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Manchester Metropolitan University on 16 July 2007.

Family

Ghaffur is married and has two children, one of whom studies at Manchester Grammar School. This is his second marriage; his first ended after he committed adultery [cite web|author=Richard Edwards|title=Daily Telegraph|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2646898/Race-row-between-Tarique-Ghaffur-and-Sir-Ian-Blair-exposes-plotting-at-heart-of-Met.html
accessdaymonth=30 August| accessyear=2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.met.police.uk/about/ghaffur.htm Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, Central Operations] , Metropolitan Police Service
* [http://www.mmu.ac.uk/graduation/honorands Manchester Metropolitan University's Honorands]