Recommendations & Conclusions
42 items
2
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Many of the findings and subsequent 70 recommendations made by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry focused on longstanding issues which remain as relevant today, in particular, the overall aim set by the late Sir William Macpherson of “the elimination of racist prejudice and disadvantage and the demonstration of fairness in all …
Read more
Many of the findings and subsequent 70 recommendations made by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry focused on longstanding issues which remain as relevant today, in particular, the overall aim set by the late Sir William Macpherson of “the elimination of racist prejudice and disadvantage and the demonstration of fairness in all aspects of policing”. Our inquiry was prompted by concerns that, in some areas, much more still needed to be done to achieve that overall aim. Given the significance of the report both to policing and to the wider understanding of institutional racism, we were very concerned to hear from Baroness Lawrence just after the twentieth anniversary of the Macpherson report in 2019 that, on the report’s recommendations, “it seems as if things have become really stagnant and nothing seems to have moved”.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government asserts its commitment to tackling hate crime by referencing its 2016 Hate Crime Action Plan (refreshed 2018) and communications campaigns, which aimed to improve police response and public understanding of hate crime.
Read full response →
Home Office
4
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Evidence to our inquiry shows that there is a significant problem with confidence in the police within Black communities. We were very concerned to see that confidence in the police among Black people has fallen in recent years and the gap in confidence in policing between White and Asian people …
Read more
Evidence to our inquiry shows that there is a significant problem with confidence in the police within Black communities. We were very concerned to see that confidence in the police among Black people has fallen in recent years and the gap in confidence in policing between White and Asian people on the one hand, and Black and Mixed ethnicity people on the other hand, has grown.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government highlights its ongoing Police Uplift Programme, which aims to increase police representation from diverse communities through national campaigns, attraction and recruitment strategies, and enhanced data capture to address issues related to community confidence.
Read full response →
Home Office
5
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Fairness, respect and impartiality are core values that should be fundamental to policing. So the fact that Black people, and especially Black Caribbean people, have much lower expectations than White people that they will be treated fairly and with respect by the police is a matter of deep and serious …
Read more
Fairness, respect and impartiality are core values that should be fundamental to policing. So the fact that Black people, and especially Black Caribbean people, have much lower expectations than White people that they will be treated fairly and with respect by the police is a matter of deep and serious concern. The problem is particularly acute for young people. Those we heard from in London expressed strong sentiments of anger and frustration towards the police, particularly about the way in which they felt police officers did not treat them fairly or with respect, and also expressed the lack of confidence they had that the police would keep them safe. (Paragraph 68) 176 The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that police forces are using positive action provisions from the Equality Act 2010 to increase representation, with updated guidance from the College and new guidance in development as part of 'Inclusive Britain,' alongside Police Uplift Programme investment in diverse recruitment.
Read full response →
Home Office
6
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Overall the majority of people from all communities still report confidence in their local police. However, there is no getting away from the significant confidence and fairness gap for Black communities. The fact that this persists twenty-two years after the Macpherson report is deeply troubling. It undermines the principle that …
Read more
Overall the majority of people from all communities still report confidence in their local police. However, there is no getting away from the significant confidence and fairness gap for Black communities. The fact that this persists twenty-two years after the Macpherson report is deeply troubling. It undermines the principle that all victims of crime should feel confident in turning to the police for help and puts in jeopardy the principle of policing by consent that lies at the heart of British policing. It should be cause for serious concern and urgent action among police forces and policing leaders.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government outlines existing governance mechanisms, such as the National Policing Board and the Police Uplift Programme Board, which are tasked with strategic oversight and ensuring progress on diversity within policing to address issues of confidence and fairness.
Read full response →
Home Office
17
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Our greatest concern going forward is that the Government and police forces are being left behind by the rise of online racism and racist crimes as the rise of social media means patterns of race hate crime are changing. Currently the police do not have the digital capacity, training or …
Read more
Our greatest concern going forward is that the Government and police forces are being left behind by the rise of online racism and racist crimes as the rise of social media means patterns of race hate crime are changing. Currently the police do not have the digital capacity, training or systems in place to be able to keep up with monitoring, investigating and charging serious cases of racist and hate crimes committed online.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged its commitment to tackling hate crime and outlined existing measures, including the Hate Crime Action Plan, public awareness campaigns, the True Vision online reporting portal, and Operation Modify, a digital skills training program for police.
Read full response →
Home Office
19
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
We welcome the Government legislating for online safety and we continue to consider these issues separately from this report. But we are concerned that much more also needs to be done around the policing response.
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged its commitment to tackling hate crime and listed existing measures to improve the police response and public awareness, such as the Hate Crime Action Plan, awareness campaigns, the True Vision portal, and Operation Modify training for police.
Read full response →
Home Office
23
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
In 2020 BME officers represented just 7% of the police service across England and Wales, far below the 14% of the population in England and Wales who are BME. The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 179 It is extremely disappointing that twenty-two years after the publication of the Macpherson report …
Read more
In 2020 BME officers represented just 7% of the police service across England and Wales, far below the 14% of the population in England and Wales who are BME. The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 179 It is extremely disappointing that twenty-two years after the publication of the Macpherson report the police service is still a very long way from being representative of the diverse communities it serves.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for representative police forces and details ongoing work through the Police Uplift Programme to diversify recruitment, including national campaigns, sharing best practices, and improved data collection.
Read full response →
Home Office
24
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
What is equally shocking is that so little changed in terms of BME recruitment and retention in the decade following our predecessors’ last inquiry on the Macpherson report. While there has been progress in BME recruitment by some forces in the last twelve months, several forces, including large forces like …
Read more
What is equally shocking is that so little changed in terms of BME recruitment and retention in the decade following our predecessors’ last inquiry on the Macpherson report. While there has been progress in BME recruitment by some forces in the last twelve months, several forces, including large forces like the Metropolitan Police Service and the West Midlands Police, had not at 31 March 2021 met the 10-year target for levels of BME representation set in 1999. Moreover, BME officers are over- represented in certain junior roles within the police service, for example as Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), and are under-represented in the most senior ranks, with no Black chief constables currently leading an English or Welsh police force. This problem is not restricted to policing and similar patterns of under- representation are evident across the public sector but in policing it is particularly important given the need for legitimacy. We welcome the efforts of those forces who have increased BME recruitment in the last twelve months, but it should not have taken this long to see those changes start to happen.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of representative police forces and outlines current efforts through the Police Uplift Programme to improve recruitment, retention, and progression of BME officers, including targeted attraction strategies and enhanced data collection.
Read full response →
Home Office
25
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The Macpherson report was clear that police forces need to be representative of the communities they serve. Throughout our inquiry we have heard concerns about community confidence in the police, the use of certain police powers and wider racism in policing. These findings of racial disparities and the community concerns …
Read more
The Macpherson report was clear that police forces need to be representative of the communities they serve. Throughout our inquiry we have heard concerns about community confidence in the police, the use of certain police powers and wider racism in policing. These findings of racial disparities and the community concerns around them, in our view, are exacerbated by the lack of BME police officers and staff at all levels of police forces. The Peel principles that have underpinned British policing for nearly 200 years are based on the understanding that the police are the public and the public are the police. These principles apply to everyone: it cannot be the case that they apply to some communities and not others based on the colour of people’s skin. As long as police forces remain so unrepresentative of local communities these vital principles are being undermined.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government reiterates that police forces should be representative of their communities and highlights the ongoing Police Uplift Programme, detailing its strategies for diversifying recruitment and improving understanding through better data.
Read full response →
Home Office
26
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Despite commitments made over many years police forces across the country have failed to do enough to increase BME recruitment, retention and promotion for decades. There has been a lack of focus, consistency and leadership in driving BME recruitment and promotion in the police service and it has not been …
Read more
Despite commitments made over many years police forces across the country have failed to do enough to increase BME recruitment, retention and promotion for decades. There has been a lack of focus, consistency and leadership in driving BME recruitment and promotion in the police service and it has not been taken seriously by either policing or political leaders for far too long.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the challenge of achieving a diverse police service and details the current efforts of the Police Uplift Programme, which aims to improve BME recruitment, retention, and progression through various strategies.
Read full response →
Home Office
27
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Our analysis suggests that, on the current rate of progress, we will not have properly representative police forces in England and Wales for another twenty years. That would be four decades after the Macpherson report raised the seriousness of this issue and nearly half a century after the murder of …
Read more
Our analysis suggests that, on the current rate of progress, we will not have properly representative police forces in England and Wales for another twenty years. That would be four decades after the Macpherson report raised the seriousness of this issue and nearly half a century after the murder of Stephen Lawrence. This undermines legitimacy and trust and is completely inexcusable. Urgent action is needed.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for representative police forces and describes the ongoing Police Uplift Programme, emphasizing its role in diversifying recruitment and improving data collection to understand retention.
Read full response →
Home Office
28
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The Government has committed to the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers by 31 March 2023. We agree with the Home Secretary that the uplift must be used to make immediate and significant progress in tackling the persistent under- representation of BME communities within the police force. We also …
Read more
The Government has committed to the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers by 31 March 2023. We agree with the Home Secretary that the uplift must be used to make immediate and significant progress in tackling the persistent under- representation of BME communities within the police force. We also welcome the work done by some forces over the last year to achieve an increase in the number of BME recruits. But we need a substantial and sustained increase from all forces. We are 180 The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on already into the second year of a three-year increased recruitment programme, so both police forces and the Home Office need to act fast to make sure that this vital opportunity to accelerate change is not missed.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the opportunity presented by the Police Uplift Programme to improve BME representation and details various ongoing strategies within this programme, such as targeted recruitment campaigns and data collection, to achieve this.
Read full response →
Home Office
29
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Much stronger national action is needed. We recognise the various equality and diversity initiatives that have been undertaken by different policing bodies but in practice they have not delivered sufficient focus or progress on BME recruitment or tackling race inequality within forces. Strategies and guidance are also ineffectual without consistency …
Read more
Much stronger national action is needed. We recognise the various equality and diversity initiatives that have been undertaken by different policing bodies but in practice they have not delivered sufficient focus or progress on BME recruitment or tackling race inequality within forces. Strategies and guidance are also ineffectual without consistency in their implementation and delivery across all forces. The Home Office must therefore set out a new framework and strategy to increase BME recruitment and ensure that all forces commit to action, not just some.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government responds by detailing the existing Police Uplift Programme, which it states is a comprehensive programme working with all 43 forces to deliver recruitment and retention strategies for a more diverse service, rather than committing to a new framework.
Read full response →
Home Office
32
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
It is welcome that forces such as the West Midlands and Leicestershire have already made clear commitments both on immediate recruitment levels and the overall proportion of BME officers in the force over time. Other forces need to be more ambitious or the immediate opportunity to improve workforce diversity significantly, …
Read more
It is welcome that forces such as the West Midlands and Leicestershire have already made clear commitments both on immediate recruitment levels and the overall proportion of BME officers in the force over time. Other forces need to be more ambitious or the immediate opportunity to improve workforce diversity significantly, provided by the current uplift, will be lost.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of diversity and details current comprehensive work through the Police Uplift Programme, including attraction campaigns, sharing best practice, and improved data collection to support all 43 forces in becoming more representative.
Read full response →
Home Office
33
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
It is particularly disappointing that the number of forces achieving representative recruitment is not higher since it is clear that forces which have made a focused effort to do so are able to achieve representative recruitment. The recent progress by forces in Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire has shown that it …
Read more
It is particularly disappointing that the number of forces achieving representative recruitment is not higher since it is clear that forces which have made a focused effort to do so are able to achieve representative recruitment. The recent progress by forces in Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire has shown that it is possible rapidly to increase the proportion of new BME recruits into line with the proportion of BME residents in the local population. Best practice from forces which are successful in achieving representative recruitment should be shared across police forces and Chief Constables held to account for their success or failure to achieve representative recruitment.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of diversity and states that sharing best practice is already an effort being made through the Police Uplift Programme, which also supports forces with various recruitment strategies and national campaigns targeting diverse audiences.
Read full response →
Home Office
35
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
All forces must do far more to use the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to develop targeted recruitment campaigns, mentoring and support. Some forces have used those provisions very effectively to increase BME recruitment significantly in a short space of time. But we have been troubled to …
Read more
All forces must do far more to use the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to develop targeted recruitment campaigns, mentoring and support. Some forces have used those provisions very effectively to increase BME recruitment significantly in a short space of time. But we have been troubled to find that until recently many The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 181 forces have failed to use the full scope of provisions permitted under the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to improve recruitment and progression, despite falling far behind in achieving recruitment that is representative of their local communities.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government reiterates its commitment to increasing diversity through the Police Uplift Programme, which includes various attraction and recruitment strategies, as well as national campaigns designed to reach diverse audiences and provide targeted communications. However, it does not explicitly commit to ensuring forces do 'far …
Read full response →
Home Office
36
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The evidence from forces which do use a positive action approach demonstrates that forces should be able to achieve their targets using tried and tested positive action measures. Given the success these forces have had, we believe that chief officer teams should be required to use the positive action tools …
Read more
The evidence from forces which do use a positive action approach demonstrates that forces should be able to achieve their targets using tried and tested positive action measures. Given the success these forces have had, we believe that chief officer teams should be required to use the positive action tools available to them and made accountable for their progress.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of representative forces and describes current efforts under the Police Uplift Programme to support forces with recruitment strategies and national campaigns to reach diverse audiences, but does not explicitly commit to requiring chief officer teams to use positive action tools …
Read full response →
Home Office
37
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Given the enduring nature of this problem a clear framework is needed for holding Chief Constables and police forces to account and ensuring that there is follow up action where forces do not make sufficient progress.
Government response AI summary
The government asserts that a clear framework for accountability already exists through the Home Secretary's National Policing Board, which sets strategic priorities and holds the sector to account, and through Police and Crime Commissioners who ensure local accountability for Chief Constables.
Read full response →
Home Office
38
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Progress against local targets must be assessed regularly by the Home Secretary, acting through the National Policing Board. We welcome the commitment made by HMICFRS to include recruitment in their inspections on disproportionality. Representative recruitment must be treated as a key measure of legitimacy in HMICFRS’ regular inspections.
Read more
Progress against local targets must be assessed regularly by the Home Secretary, acting through the National Policing Board. We welcome the commitment made by HMICFRS to include recruitment in their inspections on disproportionality. Representative recruitment must be treated as a key measure of legitimacy in HMICFRS’ regular inspections.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that the Home Secretary, through the National Policing Board, already provides strong governance and oversight, holding the sector to account for strategic priorities that include building public trust, implying this encompasses representative recruitment and legitimacy.
Read full response →
Home Office
39
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The Home Secretary has powers in legislation to require HMICFRS inspections where there are concerns about force operational performance on particular matters, and to require specified measures in the face of persistent failings. Given the importance of representative recruitment to restoring legitimacy and confidence as well as the lack of …
Read more
The Home Secretary has powers in legislation to require HMICFRS inspections where there are concerns about force operational performance on particular matters, and to require specified measures in the face of persistent failings. Given the importance of representative recruitment to restoring legitimacy and confidence as well as the lack of progress on this issue over decades since the Macpherson report, we recommend that the Home Secretary use these powers where forces continue to fail to make sufficient progress on recruitment. Where forces fall short of their target on new BME recruits after two years, HMICFRS should conduct detailed assessments and report to the Home Secretary and National Policing Board any forces which are still not demonstrating sufficient improvements, and the Home Secretary should use her powers to require the local policing body (the PCC/combined authority mayor) to take specified measures to address the concern.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government highlights its existing strong governance and oversight through the Home Secretary's National Policing Board and Police and Crime Commissioners, which collectively ensure accountability for policing priorities, rather than committing to the specific, triggered use of powers for HMICFRS inspections and required measures for …
Read full response →
Home Office
40
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
We believe that most forces should be able to make rapid progress with clear targets and using the positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010 we have identified. We heard concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police that some of the Equality Act provisions cannot be applied in the same …
Read more
We believe that most forces should be able to make rapid progress with clear targets and using the positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010 we have identified. We heard concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police that some of the Equality Act provisions cannot be applied in the same way to large volume recruitments of the kind that police forces undertake and that temporary changes to the legal framework are needed in order to make rapid progress during the current recruitment uplift. We note with interest Dame Cressida Dick’s proposal to make temporary changes to section 159 (4)(b) of the Equality Act 2010 for the remaining period of the police uplift programme. She argued that this would enable the police to accelerate the recruitment of meritorious Black and minority ethnic candidates by applying, in principle, the same tie breaker positive action method that is already legal in individual appointment decisions to large volume policing recruitment campaigns. We have not had the opportunity to take evidence on the workability or legal merits of Dame Cressida Dick’s proposition but we consider that a proposal on this issue from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police is worthy of the most serious 182 The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on deliberation. We recommend the Home Office urgently investigates the feasibility of the Commissioner’s proposal and reports the outcome of this investigation to us at the first opportunity.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government outlines its comprehensive Police Uplift Programme, which is actively implementing various strategies like targeted attraction and best practice sharing to increase diversity in recruitment, but it does not commit to investigating the specific legislative change proposed by the Commissioner.
Read full response →
Home Office
43
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
There is clear racial disparity in the number of officers being dismissed from police forces—BME officers are more than twice as likely to be dismissed as White officers— and in the number of BME officers and staff being subjected to internal disciplinary processes. We welcome the recent work by the …
Read more
There is clear racial disparity in the number of officers being dismissed from police forces—BME officers are more than twice as likely to be dismissed as White officers— and in the number of BME officers and staff being subjected to internal disciplinary processes. We welcome the recent work by the NPCC to instigate reforms. However it is extremely troubling that this disparity has been allowed to continue for so long without serious action being taken by police forces to investigate or address the problem.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the finding of racial disparity in police dismissals and misconduct. It welcomes the NPCC's new Race Action Plan (May 2022) to address this and commits the Home Office to review the police misconduct system in summer 2022 to ensure fairness and …
Read full response →
Home Office
44
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
It is completely unacceptable that forces’ data on ethnic disparity in police misconduct has been inconsistent and incomplete to the point where it cannot be understood or acted upon. We are appalled that it has not been possible for us even to assess the extent of racial disparities in the …
Read more
It is completely unacceptable that forces’ data on ethnic disparity in police misconduct has been inconsistent and incomplete to the point where it cannot be understood or acted upon. We are appalled that it has not been possible for us even to assess the extent of racial disparities in the misconduct system fully due to inadequacies The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 183 in data gathering by forces. We welcome the recent agreement between the Home Office and NPCC to gather more comprehensive, comparable information this year. However it is unacceptable that it has taken a full six years after HMICFRS warned about the problem for the Home Office and the majority of individual police forces to manage to establish effective, comparable ways of collecting data. Remarkably, the IOPC had not deemed it necessary to gather information by ethnicity in advance of us raising the issue with them. This combined failure by the Home Office, national policing organisations and police forces to conduct rigorous and systematic analysis of misconduct data for so long demonstrates the complacency regarding this issue across the police service.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government welcomes the NPCC's new Race Action Plan (May 2022), which commits to ensuring misconduct data is published consistently and fully broken down by ethnicity for all forces. The Home Office will also review the police misconduct system in summer 2022.
Read full response →
Home Office
59
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
New policing technologies have developed in the decades since the Macpherson report. These technologies, which clearly could not have been considered by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, have given rise to similar kinds of issues about the importance of sustaining confidence among minority ethnic communities, avoiding racial disparities and ensuring fairness …
Read more
New policing technologies have developed in the decades since the Macpherson report. These technologies, which clearly could not have been considered by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, have given rise to similar kinds of issues about the importance of sustaining confidence among minority ethnic communities, avoiding racial disparities and ensuring fairness in policing. Too often we have seen evidence of new measures or technologies being introduced without sensitivity to the potential impact on race disparities or community confidence. It is vital that police forces, policing institutions and the Home Office have systems in place to ensure that new technology or new measures are implemented fairly, without racial bias and without widening unfair racial disparities. (Paragraph 465
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees it is vital to have processes and governance for fair and proportionate use of new technology, and commits to working with policing partners to support the development of a national ethics framework for policing. This framework is expected to underpin high-quality impact …
Read full response →
Home Office
62
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Evidence of disproportionality must be carefully considered and presented transparently, with robust systems of independent oversight. Although the NPCC conducted a detailed analysis of the use of covid Fixed Penalty Notices by ethnicity during the first lockdown, in response to issues raised in the media and questions from this Committee, …
Read more
Evidence of disproportionality must be carefully considered and presented transparently, with robust systems of independent oversight. Although the NPCC conducted a detailed analysis of the use of covid Fixed Penalty Notices by ethnicity during the first lockdown, in response to issues raised in the media and questions from this Committee, we note with concern that neither the NPCC nor the Home Office have published any further analysis of covid-19 enforcement by ethnicity during subsequent restrictions or lockdowns even though they know there is an unexplained racial disparity. Leaving it to individual forces to follow up is not good enough, especially when the NPCC has pointed out that data analysis is more difficult at local level where smaller numbers are involved. The NPCC and Home Office should be continuing to monitor the data to see whether the racial disparity persists, what the reasons are behind it, and what action may be needed to ensure that there is no unfairness or racial injustice in the use of new powers. (Paragraph 468) The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 187
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government responds by stating that the NPCC routinely publishes data on COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices, has commissioned an independent analysis of FPNs by demographic group to be published, and is committed to an action plan to improve diversity across forces, directly addressing the recommendation …
Read full response →
Home Office
64
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The police are currently exploring other new technologies such as live facial recognition technology, where serious consideration is needed of the way the technology might apply for different communities and any consequences for racial disparities.
Government response AI summary
The government commits to supporting the development of a national ethics framework for policing, which will underpin high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to ensure fair and proportionate use.
Read full response →
Home Office
65
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
As new policing technologies, tools and powers are developed, it is important that there are robust and credible processes in place both to guard against the risk of importing or exacerbating racial disparities and to maximise their potential to demonstrate fairness and build consent in the public.
Read more
As new policing technologies, tools and powers are developed, it is important that there are robust and credible processes in place both to guard against the risk of importing or exacerbating racial disparities and to maximise their potential to demonstrate fairness and build consent in the public.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government commits to supporting the development of a national ethics framework for policing, which will underpin high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to ensure fair and proportionate use.
Read full response →
Home Office
66
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Under the Equality Act 2010 the Home Office and the police have a legal duty to consider the equality impact of new policies, measures or technologies on race equality or other protected characteristics. We do not believe that this responsibility is currently being taken seriously enough. The Home Office, NPCC …
Read more
Under the Equality Act 2010 the Home Office and the police have a legal duty to consider the equality impact of new policies, measures or technologies on race equality or other protected characteristics. We do not believe that this responsibility is currently being taken seriously enough. The Home Office, NPCC and College of Policing should work together to identify the range of new policing technologies or measures for which national race equality assessments should be done or where new research and data gathering is needed to anticipate, monitor or swiftly address unjustified race disparities. (Paragraph 472) Racism and the police twenty-two years on
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government commits to working with the NPCC and College of Policing to develop a national ethics framework, which will include high-quality impact assessments for new technologies to address racial disparities, directly responding to the call for collaboration on race equality assessments.
Read full response →
Home Office
69
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Individual bias and prejudice have no place in policing. Where they persist they must be strongly challenged, including through robust disciplinary action and dismissals for unacceptable racist behaviour. Individual forces must be vigilant and proactive in shaping their organisational culture, with training and management systems in place to address the …
Read more
Individual bias and prejudice have no place in policing. Where they persist they must be strongly challenged, including through robust disciplinary action and dismissals for unacceptable racist behaviour. Individual forces must be vigilant and proactive in shaping their organisational culture, with training and management systems in place to address the conscious and unconscious biases and prejudices of individual officers.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and deliver improvements to police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management, and highlights the new 'Race Action Plan' which includes measures to improve policing confidence among black people.
Read full response →
Home Office
73
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The Public Sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act 2010 are a part of the legacy of the Macpherson Report’s important work on institutional racism, as they build on the race equality duty that was introduced in response to the report’s findings. Under the Act the police, as public bodies, …
Read more
The Public Sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act 2010 are a part of the legacy of the Macpherson Report’s important work on institutional racism, as they build on the race equality duty that was introduced in response to the report’s findings. Under the Act the police, as public bodies, must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance race equality. They have a responsibility as institutions to tackle indirect as well as direct discrimination including taking steps to prevent inequality not just to respond once it arises. But whilst police forces have set out broad public strategies to do this, progress has been too weak in practice and we do not believe that policing has taken seriously enough its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 in recent years.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government responds by highlighting past and ongoing significant progress in policing since the Macpherson Report, including strengthened accountability, improved data collection, and efforts to attract diverse officers, implying that the issues raised are being addressed.
Read full response →
Home Office
75
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
But our inquiry has also found that despite many years of commitments being made to race equality by the police service and the Home Office, there are still persistent, deep rooted and unjustified racial disparities in key areas. The failure to make sufficient progress on BME recruitment, retention and progression, …
Read more
But our inquiry has also found that despite many years of commitments being made to race equality by the police service and the Home Office, there are still persistent, deep rooted and unjustified racial disparities in key areas. The failure to make sufficient progress on BME recruitment, retention and progression, troubling race disparities in the police misconduct system, unjustified inequalities in the use of key police powers such as stop and search and a worrying decline in confidence and trust in the police among some BME communities point to structural problems which disadvantage BME groups. Examination of individual bias without also directly focusing on the processes that enable disparities in outcomes will not improve the experiences of BME groups. We are most concerned about those areas where police forces are not taking even the most basic action to implement existing recommendations aimed at tackling racism or, where they have failed to collate rigorous and consistent data that would allow them to investigate, understand and address racial disparities or injustices that arise.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the historical context of racial equality in policing, outlining existing progress and ongoing initiatives such as reforms to police discipline and complaints systems, improvements in data collection, and efforts to recruit a more diverse police force.
Read full response →
Home Office
78
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Secondly, the evidence we have gathered shows that the impetus for change from the “clarion call” of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry has not been sustained. In 1999 the House of Commons was told by the then Home Secretary that the changes required by the Macpherson report would “work only if …
Read more
Secondly, the evidence we have gathered shows that the impetus for change from the “clarion call” of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry has not been sustained. In 1999 the House of Commons was told by the then Home Secretary that the changes required by the Macpherson report would “work only if they are systemic–embraced by the culture of the police force as well as in its practice, implemented in the mainstream of the service at every level”. Our findings have shown that whilst the mainstream of the service has changed substantially in some areas - for example on the response to racist crimes - in others such as recruitment, misconduct or community confidence, essential changes have yet to be embraced. (Paragraph 555) 190 The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government asserts that significant progress has been made since the Macpherson Report, citing strengthened police accountability, improved data, a diverse recruitment drive, and measures outlined in the 'Inclusive Britain' report to tackle disparities.
Read full response →
Home Office
79
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
We recognise that the devolved nature of policing means that there are variations in policies, cultures and outcomes between individual forces and institutions. However, based on the evidence we have received, we believe that whilst there have been improvements in important areas, there are continued shortcomings that go beyond individual …
Read more
We recognise that the devolved nature of policing means that there are variations in policies, cultures and outcomes between individual forces and institutions. However, based on the evidence we have received, we believe that whilst there have been improvements in important areas, there are continued shortcomings that go beyond individual bias and that amount to a systematic failure on the part of the police service and governments, over many years, to take race inequality in policing seriously enough and as a result to eliminate it from policing in line with the objective set by Macpherson over two decades ago.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's work and highlights significant progress made in policing over the past two decades through reforms, improved data collection, and diverse recruitment, outlining ongoing efforts to build on this progress via the "Inclusive Britain" response.
Read full response →
Home Office
84
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Twenty-two years on, police forces need to take responsibility for the lack of progress in vital areas raised by the Macpherson report. Individual forces and Chief Constables have considerable scope within their own organisations and communities to increase BME recruitment, establish fair misconduct processes, and build trust with local communities …
Read more
Twenty-two years on, police forces need to take responsibility for the lack of progress in vital areas raised by the Macpherson report. Individual forces and Chief Constables have considerable scope within their own organisations and communities to increase BME recruitment, establish fair misconduct processes, and build trust with local communities over stop and search policies. Police and Crime Commissioners also have considerable scope to hold their Chief Constables and forces to account, or to pursue measures like BME recruitment targets or additional oversight arrangements involving local Black and minority ethnic communities. Yet whilst policing has changed in many ways for the better in the last two decades, in these key areas affecting race equality too little progress has been made. Many Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners are not doing enough to tackle the problems or to recognise the additional work still needed to achieve the objective William Macpherson set out twenty-two years ago of “the elimination of racist prejudice and disadvantage and the demonstration of fairness in all aspects of policing”.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government outlines significant progress made since the Macpherson report, including strengthened police accountability, improved data collection, and a drive to recruit diverse officers. It refers to the 'Inclusive Britain' report for further measures to improve accountability and tackle disparities.
Read full response →
Home Office
85
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The wide variation among forces in the approaches taken and outcomes achieved on specific issues in relation to race equality is a matter of serious concern. Whilst we welcome the good practice of forces that have chosen to innovate on promoting race equality, we are worried at how far this …
Read more
The wide variation among forces in the approaches taken and outcomes achieved on specific issues in relation to race equality is a matter of serious concern. Whilst we welcome the good practice of forces that have chosen to innovate on promoting race equality, we are worried at how far this has been dependent only on individual leadership with patchy national progress as a result.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government highlights significant national progress since the Macpherson report, including strengthened police accountability, improved Home Office data collection, and a drive to recruit diverse officers. It also refers to the 'Inclusive Britain' report for a comprehensive action plan to tackle disparities.
Read full response →
Home Office
86
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The lack of widespread local scrutiny and oversight mechanisms involving different communities means that, too often, impetus to make progress is left to individual Chief Constables and PCCs, without improvements being made across the board or processes to ensure the interests of minority communities are represented. All forces need to …
Read more
The lack of widespread local scrutiny and oversight mechanisms involving different communities means that, too often, impetus to make progress is left to individual Chief Constables and PCCs, without improvements being made across the board or processes to ensure the interests of minority communities are represented. All forces need to establish local community oversight mechanisms which specifically recognise the need to monitor racial disparities and to increase confidence in local minority ethnic communities.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government commits to strengthening local community scrutiny by developing a new framework by Summer 2023, which will ensure panels are independently led and reflect local diversity. They will also explore sharing body-worn video footage with these panels.
Read full response →
Home Office
87
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Police forces also need to recognise the importance of coordinated national work to address unjustified race disparities and tackle racism. Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners should support work by the NPCC and APCC to establish national strategies and monitoring to ensure progress everywhere as problems will not be …
Read more
Police forces also need to recognise the importance of coordinated national work to address unjustified race disparities and tackle racism. Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners should support work by the NPCC and APCC to establish national strategies and monitoring to ensure progress everywhere as problems will not be solved by forces working in isolation. Shortcomings in one force have implications for confidence and perceptions of policing nationally.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The Home Office commits to continuing work with the NPCC and APCC to support forces in collating and publishing data on public confidence, and to delivering recommendations aimed at improving PCCs' ability to use data for accountability and addressing community confidence.
Read full response →
Home Office
91
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
HMICFRS has a very important role to play in driving improvements, raising standards and measuring progress across policing. It has produced a series of extensive reports about stop and search which has added a great deal to understanding of the issues. It is disappointing that its recommendations have still not …
Read more
HMICFRS has a very important role to play in driving improvements, raising standards and measuring progress across policing. It has produced a series of extensive reports about stop and search which has added a great deal to understanding of the issues. It is disappointing that its recommendations have still not been implemented by a large number of forces, as we discussed in chapter six.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government welcomes ongoing work by policing bodies and forces to implement HMICFRS recommendations, claiming a majority of forces have already done so or have plans. It states a follow-up survey is underway to gather more detailed information on force actions and timelines.
Read full response →
Home Office
93
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The current system for delivery and accountability on race equality within policing is not working. While there are some opportunities for ensuring accountability within the police service, our evidence indicates that these processes are far too fragmented and rarely exercised fully. Race equality tends to be left to the discretion …
Read more
The current system for delivery and accountability on race equality within policing is not working. While there are some opportunities for ensuring accountability within the police service, our evidence indicates that these processes are far too fragmented and rarely exercised fully. Race equality tends to be left to the discretion of individual leaders or forces and important recommendations or examples of good practice are not implemented systematically. Moreover, there is a lack of a coordinated drive to make progress across policing, and insufficient follow-up actions in the form of scrutiny rewards or sanctions to ensure that change which is promised is implemented in practice. (Paragraph 614) The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on 193
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government asserts that strong governance and oversight of policing already exist through the Home Secretary-chaired National Policing Board and PCCs to ensure accountability and improve community confidence. It therefore rejects the need for a new Commissioner and maintains that much is already being done, …
Read full response →
Home Office
95
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Furthermore the withdrawal of the Home Office from an active role in policing has been responsible for fragmentation and a lack of wholesale ownership in addressing race equality issues. While we acknowledge the devolved nature of policing, the Home Office is ultimately responsible for providing leadership and accountability in this …
Read more
Furthermore the withdrawal of the Home Office from an active role in policing has been responsible for fragmentation and a lack of wholesale ownership in addressing race equality issues. While we acknowledge the devolved nature of policing, the Home Office is ultimately responsible for providing leadership and accountability in this area and for ensuring that progress is made in practice. The time for the Home Office to embrace that role is long overdue.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government asserts that it has fundamentally reformed its governance and oversight of policing through the Home Secretary-chaired National Policing Board, demonstrating its active role and leadership in ensuring progress on race equality, contrary to the committee's suggestion of withdrawal.
Read full response →
Home Office
99
Conclusion
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
The renewed focus amongst policing leaders on issues of race inequality since the summer of 2020, and in particular the commitment on the part of the NPCC to the production of an action plan to consider “concerns about racial inequalities in policing and the criminal justice system” is welcome. However, …
Read more
The renewed focus amongst policing leaders on issues of race inequality since the summer of 2020, and in particular the commitment on the part of the NPCC to the production of an action plan to consider “concerns about racial inequalities in policing and the criminal justice system” is welcome. However, it is vital that this work begins as soon as possible, is adopted by every police force and its objectives are followed through. Meeting the goals of the action plan cannot be left to individual policing institutions without more formal structures of accountability and scrutiny.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees more work is needed on training consistency and commits to supporting the College and NPCC by autumn 2024 to review and improve police officer training in de-escalation and conflict management. It also highlights the co-developed 'Race Action Plan' as a measure to …
Read full response →
Home Office
100
Recommendation
Third Report - The Macpherson Report: T…
Accepted
Based on the evidence we have received and the systemic problems we have identified, we recommend that in taking forward its Plan of Action on Inclusion and Race, the NPCC must focus on the following priorities: • Achieving a police workforce that is representative of the population by 2030, with …
Read more
Based on the evidence we have received and the systemic problems we have identified, we recommend that in taking forward its Plan of Action on Inclusion and Race, the NPCC must focus on the following priorities: • Achieving a police workforce that is representative of the population by 2030, with specific objectives and plans at a force level to ensure recruitment in the current officer uplift and beyond is representative of the communities that individual forces serve (chapter four); • Gathering and publishing consistent and transparent data that allows the effects of police policies and use of powers to be properly scrutinised (chapters two, three, five, six and seven); • Reforming approaches taken to stop and search, including through improved training on conducting stop and searches, better understanding of ethnic disproportionalities and more effective review and community engagement on the use of stop and search (chapter six); • Independent monitoring and oversight at a national and community-level, combined with initiatives to rebuild confidence in police policies and use of police powers, and ensure new tools and technologies are not introduced before their likely impact has been properly examined (chapters six, seven and nine); • Maintaining an institutional focus on structural imbalances that lead to unequal outcomes for individuals of different ethnicities, including by the provision of training that goes beyond individual biases and focuses specifically on anti- racism and organisational culture (chapter nine) • An overriding commitment to the principle that disparities between different ethnic groups must be explained, or changes must be made to eliminate them (chapter nine).
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that police forces are striving for a representative workforce and details existing comprehensive programmes, such as the Police Uplift Programme and targeted national campaigns, which are already delivering on this ambition through attraction, recruitment, and data capture initiatives.
Read full response →
Home Office