In a brand-new film produced by HelpFilm and released by Action for Race Equality on Wednesday 2nd November, criminal justice campaigners and young Black Londoners issue an urgent call to the Metropolitan Police Service to scrap its Gangs Violence Matrix.
The film is based on a series of interviews with criminal justice experts Leroy Logan MBE (former Metropolitan Police Superintendent, a founder of the Black Police Association); Lana Adamou (Lawyer at Liberty UK); Katrina Ffrench (Director and Founder of UNJUST CIC); Sammy Odoi (Founder of Wipers CIC), Jeremy Crook OBE (CEO of Action for Race Equality, and some young Black people across London.
It brings together personal and professional views on the emotional, psychological and social toll that the Matrix – and years of ‘over policing’ of Black communities – has had on young Black Londoners.
Watch our new film to find out more.
We want to raise awareness amongst Black communities about the Gangs Matrix, which still remains unknown to so many. We hope the film encourages advocates of young people to find out if the police are holding, sharing and using their information inappropriately, and for police leaders to reform this damaging and discriminatory way of policing young people’s lives”
Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive – Action for Race Equality
We would like to say a “huge thank you” to the young people who shaped this work, as well as to HelpFilm and Matthew Murdoch, Filmmaker and Director for their generous support and input into the film.
#ScrapTheMatrix: campaigning for change
Alongside the new film, Action for Race Equality has simultaneously sent a letter to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and the National Police Chiefs Council which has been co-signed by the films’ representatives.
The letter urges five immediate actions needed to mitigate the breakdown of trust and the racial stereotyping inherent in the Matrix and other forms of predictive policing across the country.
The Gangs Matrix is an undercover database used by the Met for the last ten years to monitor alleged ‘gang-related activity’ in London. Those who find themselves on it face a range of detrimental consequences such as denial of essential public services across education, housing and welfare.
It has long been the subject of widespread criticism and investigation as a discriminatory tool that does more harm than good.
Read more about the Gangs Matrix on our new Gangs Matrix page, launched alongside the video. This page will soon form a hub of work and policy developments around the Gangs Matrix.
For media enquiries contact: Alex Louis, ARE Communications Consultant
For information on our open letter contact: Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive