Culture changes help build trust in policing
AS we prepare for the King’s coronation, I want to highlight The Big Help Out starting Monday, May 8. To mark the monumental occasion, thousands of organisations nationwide are getting together to give us all the chance to help out in our local communities.
Last week, I attended the Avon and Somerset Police Citizens in Policing Awards and heard first hand about the hundreds of our residents who dedicated tens of thousands of hours of their time last year, including Specials, Neighbourhood Watches and police cadets to keeping our communities safe. I want to say a big thank you to them all and also to people who do crucial volunteer work in the charity sector – particularly in end-of-life hospice care charities.
Having recently recruited 19 volunteers for our scrutiny panels, I understand the impact volunteering has on our community. I urge local people to get involved with this fantastic initiative.
Stephen Lawrence Day
» Last weekend marked the 30th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s murder. Stephen Lawrence Day provides us with an opportunity to remember the life and legacy of the teenager who was killed in a racist attack aged just 18.
In 1999, a report was published by Sir William Macpherson following the failed investigation into the crime and found institutional racism in the Met Police. The Macpherson report was a watershed moment for policing in the UK, and many police officers tell me of the impact it had on them and the way they work.
» The recently published Casey Report demonstrated that many of the issues raised by Macpherson are still prevalent in policing and need to be tackled. Here in Avon and Somerset, we are keenly focused on all these issues. There is work taking place both in my office and in Avon and Somerset Police under the tackling Disproportionality Programme and the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP).
This month also marks one year since the report’s launch into Identifying Disproportionality in the Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice System (CJS).
The independent report was commissioned in 2019 under the previous PCC and Chief Constable. It involved a two-year review of data and lived experience of Black and minoritised communities and the criminal justice system agencies in Avon and Somerset. Desmond Brown, the local campaigner and activist for racial equality, led the review and authored the report.
In the last 12 months, work has been underway to set up a Tackling Disproportionality Steering Committee under the Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) to deliver the work required to meet Desmond Brown’s report recommendations.
Tackling racial disproportionality is not about ticking off a list of recommendations. It’s about leadership and culture changes to build confidence and trust in all our communities. Legitimacy has never been more important, and tackling racial disproportionality is crucial to legitimacy in policing and the wider CJS.
Our legacy to Stephen Lawrence is to ensure communities feel and see the difference in how our criminal justice agencies treat them.
Stop Scams UK
» Finally, I would like to say a few words about Stop Scams UK’s new hotline, which helps people report suspected fraud. 159 is the memorable short-code phone service that connects most UK banking customers safely and securely with their bank when they receive an unexpected or suspicious call about a financial matter.
Criminal fraudsters destroy lives. 159 breaks the scam ‘journey’ at the critical moment when you are at the most risk of being manipulated into making a payment. Visit Stop Scams UK’s website to find out more.