Ex-police ambassador reveals untold story behind sudden departure over BLM dispute
A former hate-crime ambassador tells how she lost her position after questioning BLM statements at police conference. Her story connects to recent investigation of well-known journalist
Last year‚ Michelle Harris left her hate-crime ambassador role at Essex Police due to a chain of events that started with her speaking up about Black Lives Matter. The ex-ambassador who finished her training about three years ago raised concerns after attending nation-wide police conference
During the meeting in Luton (organized by Bedfordshire Police) a speaker made remarks that Harris found concerning:
black lives matter because now is our time. Our opportunity
She responded by expressing her belief that “all life has an equal value“. After this incident things changed - even though Harris had permission to work while living in east London the force changed its mind about letting her continue
The hate-crime ambassador program requires volunteers to:
- Complete half-day training
- Take part in two yearly awareness activities
- Help victims report crimes
- Raise community awareness
This story comes up as Essex Police looks into Allison Pearsonʼs social media posts from late-2023. Officers went to the journalists house but didnt explain which post they were investigating or who made complaint. The force even set-up a special group (usually meant for big incidents like terror attacks) to handle this case
Harris thinks the police is treating Pearson unfairly: “As a journalist myself its important that our rights to say what we think are protected; she should be treated with respect“ she says. The ex-ambassador points out that while peoples feelings matter they shouldnt affect journalists doing their jobs - suggesting theres a need for better trust between police and community
