Police Officers List Their Religion

[Sara_Paris 0]

Eight police officers serving with Scotland's largest force listed their official religion as Jedi in voluntary diversity forms, it has emerged.

 

Strathclyde Police said the officers and two of its civilian staff claimed to follow the faith, which features in the Star Wars movies.

 

The details were obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Jane's Police Review.

 

Strathclyde was the only force in the UK to admit it had Jedi officers.

 

In the Star Wars films, Jedi Knights such as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda use the Force to battle the evil Darth Vader, who has strayed to the dark side.

 

Jane's Police Review editor Chris Herbert, who requested the information, said: "The Force appears to be strong in Strathclyde Police with their Jedi police officers and staff.

 

"Far from living a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, some members of the noble Jedi order have now chosen Glasgow and its surrounding streets as their home."

 

Provided voluntarily

 

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police confirmed: "At the time of the request, 10 (eight police officers and two police staff) had recorded their religion as Jedi."

 

She added that the force monitored "six strands of diversity" - age, disability, gender, race religion and belief, and sexual orientation.

 

The force said the information was provided voluntarily and securely stored.

 

About 390,000 people listed their religion as Jedi in the 2001 Census for England and Wales. In Scotland the figure was a reported 14,000.

 

The Office for National Statistics did not recognise it as a separate category, and incorporated followers of Jedi with atheists.

 

Last year, brothers Barney and Daniel Jones founded the UK Church of the Jedi - which offered sermons on the Force, light sabre training, and meditation techniques.

 

Strathclyde Police employs 8,200 police officers and 2,800 civilian staff.

 

[TJ Phaserman 2]

you know they pull someone over for speeding, all they have to do is wave they're hand and go:

 

"you were speeding 10 over the speed limit"

 

"i was speeding 10 over the speed limit."

[Sara_Paris 0]

Good point those Jedi mind tricks could really come in handy.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

not to mention for some...perverted cops lol

[Theunicornhunter 2]

On the one hand I think those 390000 people are probably being smart alecs but

 

I find it terribly alarming that you are required to state your religion for your job - maybe that was those officers' means of objecting to the question

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

On the one hand I think those 390000 people are probably being smart alecs but

 

I find it terribly alarming that you are required to state your religion for your job - maybe that was those officers' means of objecting to the question

Not only that but those records are accessable to the public. They would have to be or I wouldn't be hearing about the religion of cops in Scottland on my computer in California.

[Jack_Bauer 1]

On the one hand I think those 390000 people are probably being smart alecs but

 

I find it terribly alarming that you are required to state your religion for your job - maybe that was those officers' means of objecting to the question

I don't think they were required. The article refers to them as "voluntary diversity forms".

[oldfan1 0]

There are 2 ways you could look at it pertaining to the police.

 

1) The police force is a force of good battling the forces of evil i.e. crime and criminals (the dark side)

2) Even though it was voluntary to answer the questions, they thought that asking about their religious beliefs was intrusive and gave an answer to show how ridiculous they thought it was.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

1) The police force is a force of good battling the forces of evil i.e. crime and criminals (the dark side)

 

That is a stretch.

[Gummy 0]

I wish that I thought of this.

Edited April 21, 2009 by Gummy

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

From Wikipedia:

 

Jedi census phenomenon

[Eratosthenes 0]

Oh my, I know what I'm doing for next year's census (my first as an adult)