London, Dec. 26, 2006
Rameshvar Singh
NRI Dinesh Joshi was the first NRI (non-resident
India) constable in Scotland's police force in the 1970s, is
preparing to retire after having 30 years services in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He was responsible for improving race
relations at various levels between the police and the public.
Joshi , 59 years old NRI has risen from a beat
constable to an inspector based at Fettes during his police
career.
Sergeant Dinesh Joshi, is one of our local authority liaison
officers. He is responsible for developing community safety
policy and provides a valuable contact point in The City of
Edinburgh Council. Dinesh promotes a wide range of partnership
projects and is committed to making Edinburgh a safer place
to be. In his own time, he works on behalf of black and ethnic
communities and has recently been involved in co-ordinating
joint agency work for the European Year Against Racism: 'I am
totally sold on partnership working. I feel that the only way
to progress many local problems is to work with the communities
themselves.'
Mr Joshi said that it was "greater confidence" among
the ethnic community to report race hate crimes which lies behind
the increase. Mr Joshi, whose family moved from India to Kenya
before travelling to the UK in 1975, said he shocked his family
with his decision to join the police.
Dinesh Joshi,worked in the operations room at the West End
station before becoming an inspector based in Dalkeith, Leith
and finally Fettes. The introduction of race relations training
for his colleagues also saw him become one of its first educators.
And he served as chairman of the Edinburgh and Lothian Racial
Equality Council, which works to promote equality and support
victims of racism. But he is perhaps most proud of watching
the number of ethnic officers climb to 42 among a force of 2721.
Mr Joshi added: "Ethnic communities feel much more comfortable
with reporting racist incidents. The police has changed in many
ways over 30 years. "I like to think I was a pioneer. But
we need even more young people from ethnic groups to join the
force and become part of a thriving Scottish society. That is
how you make a difference."
Family: Mr Joshi, who is married to Rohiri, 47, has two children
Aarti, 27, a PR consultant, and Sapna, 24, an architecture graduate.
