Last week, Chief Constable Sarah Crew acknowledged that her own force, Avon and Somerset Police, is institutionally racist.
Action for Race Equality welcomes the comment made by the Chief Constable. We would welcome this acknowledgement from all 43 police forces, including Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.
Two police forces have now been described formally as institutionally racist.
This is important progress, but other forces must begin to acknowledge that institutional racism exists. Forces across England and Wales would do well to review their own forces in line with the criteria used within the Casey review, and accept reality.
The Home Secretary should consider the consequences of at least two forces with an institutionally racist determination and think very hard about this context when urging institutionally racist organisations to carry out more stop and searches which are mostly based on racial profiling and not evidence of wrongdoing as far as Black communities are concerned.
It’s time the Government stop denying the existence of institutional racism and start and as a matter of urgency to put in please policies and effectives legal duties on police bodies.
Find out how we’re working to improve race inequalities in policing through our criminal justice work.
For queries, please contact Head of Policy, Meka Beresford