Lockdown breaches: Black men more likely to be fined
AN independent review has found men from black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds were more likely to be handed fines for breaches of Covid-19 lockdown rules compared to white men of the same age.
The review, conducted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), found there was ‘disproportionality’ in the issuing of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) by forces in England and Wales.
It found people from BAME backgrounds were handed fines at a rate of 1.6 times higher than white people between March 27 and May 25.
Men aged between 18 and 34 from BAME backgrounds were over-represented by around twice the rate of young white men in the same age group, the data suggests.
In Greater Manchester, a total of 305 FPNs were issued during the pandemic, representing one notice for every 9,180 people living in the region. GMP was found to have one of the lowest rates per population.
The figures found 261, 85.5 per cent, of the FPNs given were issued to males, while young men and women were also significantly over represented, with those aged 18-24 making up 48pc of the total number of FPNs given.
In Manchester, the rate of FPNs issued to people self-identifying as being from a BAME background was around 1.8 per 10,000 population of the force area, as opposed to FPNs issued to 1 per 10,000 population for those who identify as white.
A total of 143 notices were issued to people from who self-identify as BAME, but 41 of these were to visitors from outside Greater Manchester.
NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt said: “While it is a complex picture, it is a concern to see disparity between white and black, Asian or ethnic minority people.”
The report found the number of fines issued across England and Wales was relatively low with a rate of three per 10,000 people, with 70pc of all penalties issued to men aged under 45, who make up 22pc of the population.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, of GMP, said: “I believe the low rate of FPNs issued in Greater Manchester is reflective of our commitment to engaging with the public first and only using enforcement as a last resort.”