The head of Britain’s police chiefs’ organisation has become the most senior serving leader to declare policing is institutionally racist. He reached for fundamentally redesigning national policies and practices to eradicate discrimination. Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), believes that black people should no longer experience undeserved use of force. The officials made too little progress in reforming policing. Some leaders are slow to receive the size of the challenge. This article delves into the unresolved issue of institutional racism in UK police. Despite reform efforts, we are witnessing slow progress. Minorities frequently face racism in their daily lives.
Statistics and details of the people custody
The data indicates that in the year to March 2023:
- There were 668,979 custodies in England and Wales – a rate of 11.2 arrests for every 1,000 people.
- The detention rate for black people was 2.2 times more than for white people. There were 20.4 arrests for every 1,000 black people and 9.4 for every 1,000 white people.
- The arrest rate for people with diverse ethnicities was 1.3 times higher than for white people. (12.5 arrests for every 1,000 people)
- People from Asian and ‘other’ ethnic backgrounds had lower arrest rates than white people. (8.4 arrests for every 1,000 people)
The race plan of police
The police leaders laid out the scale of the racial disparity in the use of force in England and Wales in 2022. Met launched the first written version of their race plan to address Institutional racism in UK police.
They wrote: “Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people and five times more likely to be subjected to the use of force … 10% of our recorded searches, 27% of use-of-force incidents and 35% of Taser incidents involved someone from a Black ethnic group. The latest estimates suggest that only 3.5% of the population is Black.”
Baroness Louise Casey and its review of Met
Met office recognises the severe levels of public anxiety following the kidnap, rape, and killing of Sarah Everard. The disappearance and death of a young woman, Everard, in London prompts anger and calls for change. Considering other alarming incidents, the Metropolitan Police Service (the Met) set Baroness Louise Casey to independently review its culture and behaviour standards—an independent review into the standards of behaviour to solve Institutional racism in UK police.
Casey initiated the review in February 2022 and terminated it in March 2023. Â They examine whether the Met’s leadership, vetting, recruitment, culture, training, and communications support the standards the public should expect. They also suggest how high standards can Met fulfil reforms routinely and how the public can revive and maintain high levels of trust in the Met.
The report has found institutional racism, misogyny, and homophobia in the Met.
Not every member of the Met is a racist. But there are racists and people with racist mindsets within the institution. Black and ethnic minority officers and staff encounter racism on the job. It is routinely disregarded, dismissed, or not spoken about. Many do not consider it worth reporting. Racism and racial discrimination are getting worse within Met systems.
A plan to combat police racism has made little progress and will not lead to meaningful change. Unless it has the full support of the new home secretary, a report has been alerted.
Surveys found Institutional racism in UK police as well as courts
Not just the police but prosecuting agencies, magistrates, judges, lawyers, prison officers, and probation services can also engage in negative stereotyping about particular BME groups. A survey of 373 legal professionals found that 56% had witnessed at least one judge acting in a racially biased way, with 52% witnessing discrimination in judicial decision-making, most frequently directed towards Asians and black people – lawyers, witnesses, and defendants.  In addition, these institutions are not diverse, i.e., they do not reflect the total population. The workers within them will unlikely have the same racial and class experience as the defendants.
For example, in 2019, 92.6% of judges in England and Wales were white, and 7.4% were from a BME background. In 2020, 92.7% of police officers were white, and 7.3% were from BME backgrounds. And in 2022, 91.9% of officers were white, and 8.1% belonged to a minority ethnic group. In addition, BME staff within these organisations also experience stereotyping and discrimination. Baroness Casey’s review found that black officers were 81% more likely to face disciplinary action and new ethnic recruits—a Regulation 13 (‘unsuitable for policing’) notice than their white counterparts. HM Inspectorate of Prisons surveyed black prison staff. They said they experienced discrimination that hindered their career profession—adding that colleagues viewed them with the same suspicion that affected black prisoners. They are worried that other colleagues accused them of collusion or corruption.
Institutionalised racism in the UK’s society
Half of Met employees (49%) think Black people are underrepresented in the Met. However, over four in five (83%) Black respondents think this compared with just under half (47%) White respondents. Racially inspired Hate Crimes are the highest type of Hate Crime in the UK. One hundred nine thousand eight hundred forty-three racially irritated violations happened in 2021/2022 – an increase by19%. In annual reports, racism is the highest driver and motivation for Hate Crimes. Forty-three per cent of Hate Crimes correlated to race.
The neighbours of ethnic minorities show racial bias toward people of colure in their daily lives. Between 40-50% of people from Black Caribbean and any other Black, White, and Black Caribbean groups reported facing racist abuse while out shopping, in parks, cafes, restaurants, or on public transport. Almost one in six people also encountered racial discrimination from their neighbours. But this increased to one in two Other Black people and one in three Gypsy/Traveller people.
Minorities and racism
People from Black and diverse ethnic groups have lower trust and confidence in the Met. They scored 10 to 20% lower than average on trust and 5 to 10% lower on confidence. However, declining scores among White Londoners mean that the gap is closing. Met officers are 82% White and 71% male, and most do not live in the city they serve.
In London, the Metropolitan Police arrested minorities from the Asian, black, mixed, and ‘other’ ethnic groups more than white people. It is the highest percentage of all police force areas across England and Wales. This is a sign of Institutional racism in UK police.
