By Police to receive anti-racism training Nationwide
Police officers in England and Wales will be given mandatory anti-racism training.
This is under a new plan to tackle racism, discrimination, and bias across the force nationwide.
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) wants to recruit more black officers and staff, reportedly to improve black people’s confidence in the police.
The BBC reported Confidence levels are about 64% among black communities, compared with an average of 74%.
The NPCC says its Race Action Plan is not about “being woke”.
Police in the UK have been under pressure to address racism since widescale protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
The figures say Black people in the UK are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched compared with white people.
According to Home Office figures from 2021, they are also five times more likely to be subjected to force.
At current, London’s Metropolitan Police is investigating the case of a 14-year-old girl who was “traumatised” by a strip search by officers.
Chief Constable Sir David Thompson said creating an anti-racist police service “must be a priority for us” after launching the scheme on Tuesday.
He said the plan might be criticised “as being woke or politically correct policing” but said it is instead “about good policing”.
Every officer in England and Wales will receive anti-racism training under the plan.
Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association. said: “We are hopeful that this action plan will begin the journey to healing decades of hurt, suspicion, and mistrust.
“It must be more than a document that gives us an excuse to get things wrong and say we’re sorry.”
Emmanuelle Andrews, campaigns manager of human rights group Liberty, said the commitments made in the plan are “at complete odds” with the recent announcements.
“These are exactly the powers that disproportionately target and harass young black men,” she said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is clear more needs to be done in policing to ensure everyone is treated fairly and without prejudice, regardless of their race or background.”
