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Sunday People: Way out of touch

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  • I have come across shoddy reporting, but wow, what do you think

    A rising number of sex-swap coppers are being recruited to Britain’s biggest police force.

    They are being given a key role in dealing with crimes against cross-gender victims, the People can reveal.

    London’s Metropolitan Police now includes eight hermaphrodites – those born a mix of male and female.

    There are also four transsexuals who have had sex-change operations from male to female or vice versa.

    And two are described as transgenders, meaning they are living as the opposite sex and possibly awaiting the op.

    The news comes after Tory Justice Secretary Ken Clarke announced tougher sentences for those committing hate crimes against cross-gender targets – offences which are thought to be on the rise.

    A source said last night: “These figures reflect what a diverse force the Met has become, in turn reflecting the wide ranging community it now polices.

    “These officers can play a vital role in crimes involving people from the trans community – who may be less inclined to trust a “normal” police officer.”

    The 14 officers told a voluntary staff survey of their gender status and figures were made available for the first time under Freedom of Information laws.

    A further 155 police ticked a “prefer not to say” box.

    Sex-change recruits were allowed into the force after bosses agreed to exempt them from body searches.

    Suspects can only be searched by ­officers of the same sex and transsexuals cannot change theirs on birth certificates.

    Met chiefs previously felt the transsexual community was an “under-represented group” within the force.

    Support group The National Trans Police Association now has 70 officers as members after launching in 2010.

    A group spokesman said: “Some officers dare not identify themselves.

    “For example, if their inspector is ex-military there is a real fear they will think they will have no future in the career. But things are changing for the better.”

    The force previously hit the headlines when it emerged any officer wanting a sex-change would get a year’s paid leave.

    Reprt by Nick Dorman of the Sunday People:  http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/06/03/london-s-metropolitan-police-recruits-eight-hermaphrodite-cops-102039-23883809/

      June 4, 2012 9:18 PM BST
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  • It is unbelievable that such a "non story" can be reported so crassly ,insensitively,bizarrely and if that wasn't enough be factually incorrectly
    i am ashamed to be able to report a much abridged version of this appeared in todays Sun.

      June 4, 2012 9:35 PM BST
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  • I know Vikki - even a newbie reporter would have at least done a little research into the story before writing it - this is so full of inaccuracies it is untrue.

    Fortunately the good people from TransMedia Watch are following up on it
      June 4, 2012 9:43 PM BST
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  • Deleted

    This post was edited by Former Member at April 11, 2013 5:29 PM BST
      July 10, 2012 7:39 PM BST
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