Just over 5% of police officers in Norfolk and Suffolk identify as LGBT
The true number could be higher due to workplace discomfort
Last updated 25th Feb 2022
New research has found that just over 10% of the police force in Norfolk and Suffolk identify as being gay, lesbian or bisexual.
Following a series of Freedom of Information requests, the PA News Agency was able to gather a picture of the demographic of the police forces across the country.
The figures found that of the 40 regional forces, 26 were able to send relevant data regarding the open expression of sexual orientation in their force.
In Norfolk, only 90 police officers identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual - equalling 6.2% of the force in the county.
But Suffolk had some of the lowest figures for bisexual representation in the force, with only eight officers labelling themselves as bisexual. There are 41 gay/ lesbian officers in the Suffolk Constabulary - roughly equating to 4.2%.
Despite the figures, it is thought that the true number of people identifying as LGBT is higher, due to reluctance to come out in the workplace.
Speaking about the figures, Chief Inspector Lee Broadstock, co-chairman of the LGBT+ network representing gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans officers across the country said that there needed to be more LGBT+ representation in the force.
"If we're not representative of our communities then we don't understand that community," he said.
"There needs to be an understanding of what the communities need to give people an equitable police service."
The requests come in the wake of the inquest of serial killer Stephen Port's victims, which concluded that had there been more LGBT police officers, fewer people could have been killed.
Data from the Office for National Statistics in 2019 showed that 2.7% of the UK population aged 16 and over openly identified as LGBT, with another 3% unsure of their sexuality.