Home secretary's support needed to combat police racism, report says

A new report has said that the police race action plan will only succeed with full support from the new home secretary.

Announced by police chiefs in 2020 to tackle racism within the force, the plan has made limited progress, according to the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB), which monitors its implementation, reported The Guardian.

Abimbola Johnson, chair of the ISOB, highlighted the lack of government interest, stating that responsibility for the plan's success falls on individual forces. “There are certain forces that just really don’t prioritise anti-racism work at all because the chief constable or the PCC [police and crime commissioner] doesn’t buy into it,” Johnson said.

Johnson called for central government intervention to ensure all 44 police forces work together. She said that officers would be more motivated to comply if their career progression depended on it.

Johnson also criticised the previous government for obstructing the plan, citing a review into police activism commissioned by Suella Braverman, which she said hindered the race action plan’s progress.

The plan, due to end in its current format in March next year, lacks visibility and awareness among police officers and the public, the report said. "At the National Black Police Association (NBPA) conference in October, attendees were largely unaware of the plan or how to hold their forces accountable," Johnson said.

In June, the NBPA withdrew support, accusing police leaders of failing to deliver on promises of reform and allowing a “toxic” environment for black and Asian officers.

Johnson compared the public visibility of the plan and buy-in by police leaders with that of the violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy. “Obviously it’s a very London-centric perspective but you sit on the tube and you see posters dedicated to VAWG, with the BTP [British Transport Police] stamp, mayor of London stamp, where they’ve thought about these high-profile campaigns," she said.

A Home Office spokesperson stated, “Racism has no place in policing. Police forces must improve the culture as well as reflect the diverse communities they serve. This new government is committed to working with police and police staff to achieve a diverse workforce.”

Last month, the NBPA withdrew support for the chief constables’ primary plan to eliminate discrimination within the force.

The NBPA, representing thousands of minority ethnic officers, accused police leaders of failing to honour reform promises and fostering a “toxic” environment that hampers the careers of black and Asian officers.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) introduced a race action plan for England and Wales in 2020, aiming to address longstanding discrimination and excessive use of force against black communities.

This initiative was a reaction to the global outcry following George Floyd’s murder by a police officer in the US.