Keith Jarrett

President, National Black Police Association UK

As a founding member of the National Black Police Association, Keith Jarrett is a familiar figure with the Black Police Associations in the police service throughout the United Kingdom. This profile will soon be elevated further afield as Keith was recently elected as the President of the National Black Police Association [NBPA] following elections in September 2005.

Keith’s career in the police service was preceded in ‘the real world’. Having trained as a mechanical engineer, young Keith ventured into enterprise and subsequently enjoyed a ten-year career as a Technical Director of his own business. In a true fashion of multi-skilled management, he was involved in all aspects of the company’s operation including sales, production planning and control, recruitment and staff training, strategic planning and general management.

It is an irony that the very spirit of enterprise, which was marketed in the era of the ‘Iron Lady’, also led to folding the engineering business. After a three-year stint as the Chief Executive of the Eastside Housing Association, Keith Jarrett joined British Transport Police [BTP], graduating as a Sergeant, managing over 30 constables and staff.

In this capacity he developed many strong Community links looking at creative ways to tackle problems like drug addiction, which was firmly established as the root cause of most of the crime in the area he policed. Keith was instrumental in developing a ‘Problem Orientated Policing’ approach to policing areas of East London, working closely with young people in partnership with the communities and schools, as well as the Local Authorities, Probation Service, Drug Dependency Units and the Courts.

IN 2002, Keith qualified as a Diversity Trainer and has undertaken numerous programmes to address Diversity issues within BTP. Additionally, he has hosted many seminars and workshops addressing specific issues surrounding racism, understanding cultural differences, minority responses to dominance, sexism, the gay community, hate crime, and the legislations governing these topics - the Race Relations Amendment Act to name, but one.

Keith’s effort to set up a Black Police Association within BTP was resisted in the early years. It wasn’t until 2000 and a long time after the publication of the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, that the BTP ‘approached’ and asked him to set up a support network for minority staff.

Following considerable work, Keith Jarrett and colleagues finally launched the Support Association for Minority Ethnic staff [SAME]. As the inaugural Chair, Keith remained in that position for most of its existence in the last six years.

Keith believes in the progression of Minority Ethnic staff and Community and considers this as his number one goal. Indeed he felt so strongly about the failings of Black youths in the education system that he recently obtained the necessary qualifications to become a teacher!

It would not be an exaggeration if it were stated that Keith Jarrett ‘walks the walk and talks the talk’.

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