A recent report has highlighted the slow and inadequate progress made by police in addressing racism, five years after the launch of the Police Race Action Plan following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. The Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB) overseeing the PRAP found that advancements have been too reliant on individual efforts rather than a comprehensive commitment from police leadership.
According to the ISOB report, only six out of 44 police forces covered by the PRAP have publicly acknowledged the existence of institutional racism within their ranks. The report draws parallels to the slow pace of change observed after the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, where the Metropolitan Police was found to be incompetent and institutionally racist.
Statistics from 2024 revealed that Black men were 2.4 times more likely to be arrested than white men, and Black individuals were 3.7 times more likely to be stopped and searched compared to their white counterparts. This disparity underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Black communities in their interactions with law enforcement.
The chairwoman of ISOB, Abimbola Johnson, expressed disappointment in the sluggish and uneven progress of reforms aimed at improving outcomes for Black communities. She emphasized the need for structural accountability and urged government and policing authorities to prioritize institutional change over individual efforts.
Chief Constable Sarah Crew of Avon and Somerset Police stressed that acknowledging institutional racism is just the first step, emphasizing the importance of tangible actions to rebuild trust with Black communities. Chief Constable Gavin Stephens of the National Police Chiefs’ Council acknowledged the progress made under the PRAP but admitted that more comprehensive systemic changes are necessary to address racial disparities effectively.
Moving forward, the PRAP aims to focus on anti-racism with a renewed commitment to earning the trust and confidence of all communities served by the police. The ISOB report calls for the establishment of independent scrutiny, national data standards, and the integration of race equity into inspection and performance frameworks by the Home Office.
As the standalone Police Race Action Plan concludes, the board emphasizes the importance of embedding accountability within core systems and incorporating race metrics into inspection frameworks. This shift towards greater oversight and accountability aims to drive meaningful change and address racial disparities within policing.
