Sabbir Ahmed Malik (25), an expert in counter-extremism who specialises in preventing radicalisation and domestic abuse, had aspirations of joining Scotland Yard. However, his application was rejected and he claims it is because he had successfully sued the police force for wrongfully arresting him.
Malik, who has a post-graduate degree in human rights and is a council official, had applied to join the Metropolitan police. He had decided to apply after the Metropolitan police had launched a campaign to get more people with second languages, including Bengali, to join the police force. Malik, who speaks several languages felt he was apt for this role.
He was left surprised as his application was rejected due to his wrongful arrest, even though the force's head of human resources, Robin Wilkinson stated that minor convictions and warnings would not prelude someone from becoming a police officer.
In 2014, Malik had won £18,500 against the Met for wrongful arrest. He had also received a letter of apology, as well as a written confirmation that his DNA and fingerprints will be removed from the police national computer system.
However, Sabbir Malik received a letter from the Met in May 2015, which stated he had failed his vetting “due to receiving a reprimand for shoplifting on 10/03/2005”, when we was 14 years old.
Malik wrote a letter of complaint to the Met commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, but he received a reply which stated, “On the vetting form you completed on 20th February 2015, it states that 'the commissioner retains the right to reject any application without giving reasons.”
For Malik, joining the police has been a “lifelong” aspiration and he now seeks legal advice regarding the Met's rejection of his application. He said, “It has been my lifelong ambition to join the police. I wanted to build bridges between the community and the police where there is a tradition of distrust. I think I've been discriminated against by the Met police, simply because I sued them for a mistake they committed twice against me. Instead of turning against the police, I still wanted to join them.”
