Two-thirds of BAME people feel police are biased, over 70 per cent face discrimination in daily lives

• Eastern Eye Staff
• 20 August, 2020

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By: Eastern Eye Staff

ABOUT two-thirds of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds believe police forces are biased against them, a study has revealed.

The survey by Hope Not Hate found four out of five black and Bangladeshi Britons feel “police are biased against people from my background and ethnic group”, and about half of Indian and Chinese respondents agreed.

Overall, about 65 per cent of all ethnic minorities were of the view of the view that bias was rampant. However, 64 per cent of them said the issue zeroed down to “a few individuals within forces”, rather than the whole system.

Hope Not Hate also found that three-quarters of black Britons, 71 per cent of Bangladeshi respondents and 53 per cent of British Indians believed members of their communities were “dealt with more severely in the courts”.

Taking note of the report, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said it was “developing a plan of action to address racial inequalities in policing”, stressing that it was “crucial” to have the trust of all communities.

Det Insp Andy George, interim president of the National Black Police Association, said the time was apt to “acknowledge the evidence produced in this report and build long-term strategies to increase trust and confidence”.

Furthermore, the Hope not Hate report highlighted that 72 per cent of the respondents said they faced discrimination in their daily lives. And more than half of them had witnessed or experienced some form of racism — including abuse and violence — in public places, on social media, and the press over the past 12 months.

The survey, which covered about 1,000 adults in July, also underscored that 57 per cent of the respondents believed the government had failed to properly protect BAME communities from Covid-19.

The report quoted Labour lawmaker Dr Rosena Allin-Khan as saying that the minority communities were treated like “cannon fodder” in the pandemic battle.

“These people’s lives are not, and should not, have been dispensable,” she added.