An immensely powerful and sobering look inside the British police force. Kevin Maxwell, who after a decade of daily experiences of intolerance and abuse as a gay black officer took the force to employment tribunal, exposes the full scale of racism, homophobia, entrenched prejudice and moral cherry-picking within the field of law enforcement.
Kevin Maxwell was a dream candidate for the police force - he had a long-held desire to serve his community, a strong moral compass and a clear aptitude for both the strategic and practical aspects of policing. And, as a gay black man from a working class family, he could easily have been a poster boy for the force's stated commitment to equal opportunities. Joining just after the 9/11 attacks, Kevin entered policing determined to keep communities safe in the face of a changing world. But instead he came up against entrenched prejudice, open racism and homophobia. For more than ten years, Kevin strove against the odds, until he took the force to an employment tribunal - with devastating results.
Forced Out is a revelatory exposé combining deeply affecting memoir with sharp analysis and a fascinating insider perspective on day-to-day life in the force. It is a touchstone for the silent many who have either tried to ignore abuse for the sake of their career or who have been bullied out of their jobs. It paints a sobering portrait of an institution that has not yet learned the lessons of the past and whose prejudice is informing the cases it chooses to investigate and the way it investigates them. And it asks the important question: what needs to change?
Publisher: Granta Books
ISBN: 9781846276804
Number of pages: 352
Weight: 412 g
Dimensions: 234 x 153 x 21 mm
One of the most compulsive books I've read in a long while. Maxwell's experiences as a black gay policeman demonstrate how far we have to go as a country when the institution created to protect us persecutes us instead. I was shocked and saddened at the systemic discrimination and corruption directed at him by his colleagues and superiors, and how they closed ranks to cover their tracks - Bernardine Evaristo, author of Booker prizewinning Girl, Woman, Other
Forced Out is a searing dissection of institutional racism and personal tragedy with two major UK police forces with tendrils extending into the dark world of compromat and media manipulation. Painstakingly researched and beautifully written, this is a burning, righteous book - A. L. Kennedy
Brave and essential, Forced Out is a shocking exposé of racism and homophobia in today's police. This courageous book pushes us to demand equality, fairness and accountability - Peter Tatchell
Kevin is an example of what the police force needs in its ranks: a gay, black man from an ordinary family. [And yet] his career was destroyed by unaccountable, untouchable senior officers who don't like different ... We all need to read accounts like this to understand the mechanics of inequality so that it can be dismantled - Gurpal Virdi, author of, Behind the Blue Line
Chilling - Observer
A compelling exposé of racism and homophobia within the police force - Gay's the Word
The story of the racism he saw at the heart of the machine is staggering - revealed in his important, gripping new book - Johann Hari
Impressive... An engrossing read and a terrible indictment of the British police force - Books of the Year chosen by Bernadine Evaristo, New Statesman
Absolutely brilliant book. Discloses the realities of work in police, racial intolerance and homophobia. Really enjoyed a genuine Author's story and been fascinated by his determination and strong will! Highly... More
This account of Maxwell's career with the police is outstanding. It is carefully considered and very restrained, but nevertheless has the tension of a thriller. Once I started reading, I could not stop. He... More
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