Police institutional racism
37 items
2 sources
Absence of a consensus framework for measuring and assessing institutional racism within individual police forces.
Cross-Source Insight
Police institutional racism has been flagged across 2 independent accountability sources:
35 inquiry recs
2 PFD reports
This issue has been identified by multiple independent accountability bodies, suggesting it is a recurring systemic concern.
Inquiry Recommendations (35)
ANG-14 — Public commitment to anti-sexist anti-racist organisation
Recommendation: With immediate effect, every police force should commit publicly to being an anti-sexist, anti-misogynistic, anti-racist organisation in order to address, understand and eradicate sexism, racism and misogyny, contributing to a wider positive culture to remove all forms of discrimination from …
Gov response: Home Secretary James Cleverly said: "The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward …
Accepted
In progress
ANG-9 — Improve vetting decision-making quality and consistency
Recommendation: By March 2025, the College of Policing, in collaboration with force vetting units, should take steps to improve the quality and consistency of police vetting decision-making. This should include encouraging the use of greater professional rigour and curiosity when investigating …
Gov response: Home Secretary James Cleverly said: "The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward …
Accepted
In progress
DM-11 — IPCO inspections of informant policies
Recommendation: The Panel is concerned that the policies and procedures relating to the use of informants by law enforcement agencies still allow scope for corrupt practices, and it recommends that the Investigatory Powers Commissioner takes this into consideration during inspections.
Gov response: The Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO) independently oversees the use of these powers and conducts annual inspections to ensure compliance by law enforcement agencies. Experienced inspectors will also carry out further ad hoc inspections as …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
DM-12 — Resources for tackling police corruption
Recommendation: The Metropolitan Police must ensure that the necessary resources are allocated to the task of tackling corrupt behaviour among its officers. Without proper resources there can be no effective fight against corruption. Since the Independent Office for Police Conduct has …
Gov response: For 2023/24, the MPS will receive up to £3.3bn via the police funding settlement, an increase of up to £102.3m when compared with 2022/23. In addition, the MPS faces increased demands on resources from policing …
Accepted
Delivered
DM-13 — HMICFRS review of whistleblower protections
Recommendation: It is recommended that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services conduct a thematic investigation of the operation of the practices and procedures introduced following the adoption of the Code of Ethics in 2014 to determine whether …
Gov response: The College of Policing's Code of Ethics is a hugely significant document in policing and applies to everyone working in the policing profession. The Code of Ethics, first published in 2014, aims to deliver a …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
DM-14 — Register membership of organisations like Freemasons
Recommendation: All police officers and police staff should be obliged to register in confidence with the Chief Officer of their police force, at either their point of recruitment to the police force or at any point subsequent to their recruitment, their …
Gov response: There were concerns about Freemasonry, and the potential for conflicts of loyalty among Freemasons who were also police officers, in the initial investigations. The report itself accepted that membership of the Freemasons was not a …
Accepted in Part
DM-15 — Regular security clearance updates for police
Recommendation: Security clearance processes for police officers and police staff are fundamental to any anti-corruption strategy. Regular updating of the security status of each individual is essential to identify any concerns and to enable action to be taken in respect of …
Gov response: Police forces carry out their vetting in line with the College of Policing's statutory code of practice on vetting and its APP on vetting. The College is currently in the process of updating its statutory …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
MACP-1 — Establish Ministerial Priority for police to increase trust among minority ethnic communities
Recommendation: That a Ministerial Priority be established for all Police Services: "To increase trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities".
Unknown
MACP-11 — Apply Race Relations legislation to all police; make Chief Officers vicariously liable
Recommendation: That the full force of the Race Relations legislation should apply to all police officers, and that Chief Officers of Police should be made vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of their officers relevant to that legislation.
Unknown
MACP-12 — Adopt definition: "racist incident is perceived as racist by victim or witness
Recommendation: That the definition should be: "A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person".
Unknown
MACP-13 — Understand "racist incident" includes crimes and non-crimes, investigated with equal commitment
Recommendation: That the term "racist incident" must be understood to include crimes and non-crimes in policing terms. Both must be reported, recorded and investigated with equal commitment.
Unknown
MACP-14 — Universally adopt racist incident definition across police, local government, and agencies
Recommendation: That this definition should be universally adopted by the Police, local Government and other relevant agencies.
Unknown
MACP-15 — Establish Home Office Codes of Practice for reporting and recording racist incidents/crimes
Recommendation: That Codes of Practice be established by the Home Office, in consultation with Police Services, local Government and relevant agencies, to create a comprehensive system of reporting and recording of all racist incidents and crimes.
Unknown
MACP-16 — Encourage reporting racist incidents and crimes, offering non-police station and 24/7 access
Recommendation: That all possible steps should be taken by Police Services at local level in consultation with local Government and other agencies and local communities to encourage the reporting of racist incidents and crimes. This should include: - the ability to …
Unknown
MACP-17 — Ensure close co-operation and information sharing on racist incidents among agencies
Recommendation: That there should be close co-operation between Police Services and local Government and other agencies, including in particular Housing and Education Departments, to ensure that all information as to racist incidents and crimes is shared and is readily available to …
Unknown
MACP-18 — Review ACPO Good Practice Guide; produce manual for racist incident investigations
Recommendation: That ACPO, in consultation with local Government and other relevant agencies, should review its Good Practice Guide for Police Response to Racial Incidents in the light of this Report and our Recommendations. Consideration should be given to the production by …
Unknown
MACP-2 — Include performance indicators for monitoring Ministerial Priority on racist incidents
Recommendation: The process of implementing, monitoring and assessing the Ministerial Priority should include Performance Indicators in relation to: i. the existence and application of strategies for the prevention, recording, investigation and prosecution of racist incidents; ii. measures to encourage reporting of …
Unknown
MACP-24 — Include racism awareness and cultural diversity training for Family Liaison Officers
Recommendation: That training of Family Liaison Officers must include training in racism awareness and cultural diversity, so that families are treated appropriately, professionally, with respect and according to their needs.
Unknown
MACP-28 — Proactively use local minority ethnic contacts for family liaison assistance.
Recommendation: That Police Services and Victim Support Services ensure that their systems provide for the pro-active use of local contacts within minority ethnic communities to assist with family liaison where appropriate.
Unknown
MACP-48 — Review and revise police racism awareness training for consistent cultural diversity strategy
Recommendation: That there should be an immediate review and revision of racism awareness training within Police Services to ensure:- a. that there exists a consistent strategy to deliver appropriate training within all Police Services, based upon the value of our cultural …
Unknown
MACP-49 — Train all police officers and staff in racism awareness and cultural diversity
Recommendation: That all police officers, including CID and civilian staff, should be trained in racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity.
Unknown
MACP-50 — Conduct local police racism awareness training involving minority ethnic communities
Recommendation: That police training and practical experience in the field of racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity should regularly be conducted at local level. And that it should be recognised that local minority ethnic communities should be involved in such training …
Unknown
MACP-52 — Home Office and Police Services publish racism awareness training standards and objectives
Recommendation: That the Home Office together with Police Services should publish recognised standards of training aims and objectives in the field of racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity.
Unknown
MACP-53 — Implement independent and regular monitoring of all Police Service training
Recommendation: That there should be independent and regular monitoring of training within all Police Services to test both implementation and achievement of such training.
Unknown
MACP-54 — Review racism awareness training in local government and criminal justice agencies
Recommendation: That consideration be given to a review of the provision of training in racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity in local Government and other agencies including other sections of the Criminal Justice system.
Unknown
MACP-57 — Ensure racist acts by police officers lead to disciplinary proceedings and dismissal
Recommendation: That the Police Services should through the implementation of a Code of Conduct or otherwise ensure that racist words or acts proved to have been spoken or done by police officers should lead to disciplinary proceedings, and that it should …
Unknown
MACP-64 — Require policing plans to include targets for minority ethnic staff recruitment and retention
Recommendation: That the Home Secretary and Police Authorities' policing plans should include targets for recruitment, progression and retention of minority ethnic staff. Police Authorities to report progress to the Home Secretary annually. Such reports to be published.
Unknown
MACP-65 — Facilitate initiatives to increase qualified minority ethnic recruits in police services
Recommendation: That the Home Office and Police Services should facilitate the development of initiatives to increase the number of qualified minority ethnic recruits.
Unknown
MACP-66 — Require HMIC to inspect and report on police minority ethnic staff progress
Recommendation: That HMIC include in any regular inspection or in a thematic inspection a report on the progress made by Police Services in recruitment, progression and retention of minority ethnic staff.
Unknown
MACP-67 — Amend National Curriculum to value cultural diversity and prevent racism
Recommendation: That consideration be given to amendment of the National Curriculum aimed at valuing cultural diversity and preventing racism, in order better to reflect the needs of a diverse society.
Unknown
MACP-68 — Require schools to implement anti-racism strategies, record and publish racist incidents
Recommendation: That Local Education Authorities and school Governors have the duty to create and implement strategies in their schools to prevent and address racism. Such strategies to include: that schools record all racist incidents; that all recorded incidents are reported to …
Unknown
MACP-69 — Require OFSTED inspections to examine school anti-racism strategy implementation
Recommendation: That OFSTED inspections include examination of the implementation of such strategies.
Unknown
MACP-7 — Ensure police authority membership reflects the community's cultural and ethnic mix
Recommendation: That the Home Secretary and Police Authorities should seek to ensure that the membership of police authorities reflects so far as possible the cultural and ethnic mix of the communities which those authorities serve.
Unknown
MACP-70 — Implement community initiatives promoting cultural diversity and addressing racism across agencies
Recommendation: That in creating strategies under the provisions of the Crime & Disorder Act or otherwise Police Services, local Government and relevant agencies should specifically consider implementing community and local initiatives aimed at promoting cultural diversity and addressing racism and the …
Unknown
MACP-8 — Empower HMIC to use lay inspectors for racist crime investigation inspections
Recommendation: That HMIC shall be empowered to recruit and to use lay inspectors in order to conduct examination and inspection of Police Services particularly in connection with performance in the area of investigation of racist crime.
Unknown
PFD Reports (2)
Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor
Concerns: Police investigations were marred by a significant number of "very serious and very basic investigative failings," including a profound lack of curiosity and errors, with terrible consequences.
Overdue
Arsema Dawit
Concerns: Police investigation suffered from premature offence classification, misleading record entries, and inadequate supervision of action plans. There was also a gap in domestic violence reporting for non-adults and a reluctance to use interpreting services.
Responded