Kernow/Cornwall: Police Reminded of Cornish Identity

The General Secretary (GS) of the Celtic League has written once again to Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary about their lack of provision for the Cornish ethnic group.

The GS has written to the Diversity Unit at Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary after it was brought to his attention that Cornish people are not allowed to have their ethnicity recorded as Cornish by Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary, when asked for their ethnicity for official police purposes. The case in question arose after the Kernow Branch Secretary of the Celtic League, Iwan LeMoine, attended Falmouth police station after being the victim of a petty crime.

At the police station, Mr LeMoine was asked to state his ethnicity, which is part of the normal police procedure, but when he stated `Cornish' he was told by the officer that no category existed for Cornish and that he would have to be recorded as `White – British other', despite his protests.

Mr LeMoine therefore made sure that it was recorded in his witness statement that he was Cornish and has since raised this issue himself with the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Mr LeMoine said:

"All dentists and doctors' surgeries and medical practices in the Duchy now allow people to identify themselves as 'Cornish' in the registration forms, as do a wide number of schools and other establishments. The Devon & Cornwall Constabulary have some catching up to do."

The full text of the letter sent by the GS can be found below:

"Dear John Jackson

Ethnicity code: Cornish

I am writing to you to express my concern about the recording of ethnicity codes by Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary.

I am aware that occasionally Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary need to record the ethnic origin of people who are voluntarily compelled or required to visit a police station for different reasons. I understand that it is often necessary and useful to collate statistics related to the ethnic origin of people who come into contact with the police service and that such information can help the police to develop its policies and practises in the future.

For this reason, I was surprised to learn recently that Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary do not allow people to record their ethnicity as Cornish should they wish to do so. Without this information people who wish to define their identity as Cornish become statistically invisible on police records and consequently accurate police data relating to this particular ethnic group is clearly lacking.

As you will be aware, the Cornish are not yet recognised as a distinct ethnic group in their own right, but this does not mean that it is not important to collate information on this particular group with the intention of developing police practise in the future and/or for sharing this information with other bodies that the police work cooperatively with. On the 2001 census forms, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded the Cornish ethnic group by allowing people to tick the `other' box and writing in `Cornish'. There is no reason why Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary could not accommodate `Cornish' in their ethnicity codes in the same way.

We look forward to hearing your views on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary"

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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

29/07/09