Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Anti-racism police team accused of racism: Report

The Police Race Action Plan was launched to help police build better relationships with black communities

Anti-racism police team accused of racism: Report

Allegations of racism have emerged within an initiative aimed at combating racism in policing in England and Wales, with some ethnic minority staff involved raising concerns, according to a report.

Former members of staff at the Police Race Action Plan told the BBC that their perspectives were ignored.


The Action Plan was launched in the UK to help police build better relationships with black communities after African-American George Floyd was murdered in the US in 2020.

One black former staff member told the broadcaster that they believed people like them were seen as 'troublemakers or difficult' for providing their perspectives.

"It was openly questioned if black people were even needed to work on the plan. I increasingly felt my voice and - at times - my lived and professional experience were being ignored," former staff members told the BBC.

According to a staff member, they were treated differently to their white colleagues as they were not being offered more support when the workload increased.

Developed by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the race action plan claims to 'make policing anti-racist' and 'not over-police' black people by tackling racial disparities in stop and search, arrests and homicides.

The BBC has also obtained documents revealing more complaints from ethnic minorities who participated in the programme. They expressed doubts about the Action Plan's credibility and true motivations.

According to some, their negative experiences were dismissed in an effort to maintain a positive image. A former black team member described feeling completely 'disillusioned' by the entire process.

They expressed confusion over the fact that such behaviors, including racism, occurred within a programme that was initially intended to 'enhance the experience for black people working in or interacting with the police'.

This led them to question the seriousness of the police in implementing substantial and meaningful change, the report added.

Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), said members his organisation had supported had outlined areas where they had been marginalised and sidelined within the plan.

"At times, they've almost been gas-lit as well around some of the issues. Black people are sometimes made to feel that they are the problem, and that they are loud and challenging," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

In May, the man in charge of the strategy retired. Deputy chief constable Tyron Joyce, one of the most senior black officers in UK policing, had faced an unrelated allegation of bullying at the unit.

The NPCC's chairman and Police Race Action Plan lead,

"We will be issuing a refreshed action plan that I am confident will deliver the change in our workforce, and the communities we serve, need and deserve. We must be judged on action and not words," chief constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC's chairman and Police Race Action Plan lead, told the BBC.

"I am not aware of any official complaints or allegations relating to racism. However, I am deeply saddened to hear of the experiences expressed in this report. It is a stark reminder of why we must drive change across policing and we are more galvanised than ever to achieve this."

More For You

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK  mini heatwave

Sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth

Getty

UK to see mini heatwave as temperatures climb towards 24 °c

The UK is set for a period of warmer weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise significantly across parts of the country. According to the Met Office, a spell of dry and sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth, although it will fall short of the threshold for an official heatwave.

Temperatures in south-eastern and central England could reach 23°c to 24°c by Tuesday, around 10C above the seasonal average for some areas. The Met Office described this as a “very warm spell” rather than a heatwave, though the contrast with recent cooler weather will be noticeable.

Keep ReadingShow less
indian-army-reuters

Indian security force personnel stand guard at the site of the attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, April 24, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Indian and Pakistani troops exchange fire along Line of Control

INDIAN and Pakistani troops exchanged fire overnight along the Line of Control in Kashmir, officials from both sides said on Friday.

The exchange took place days after a deadly attack in the region and amid calls from the United Nations for both countries to show "maximum restraint".

Keep ReadingShow less
India declares state mourning for Pope Francis, Modi leads tributes

A sculpture by Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik in Puri, Odisha, on Monday (21)

India declares state mourning for Pope Francis, Modi leads tributes

INDIA began three days of state mourning on Tuesday (22) for the Pope, a rare honour for a foreign religious leader, as prime minister Narendra Modi joined other south Asian and world leaders in paying tributes following his death on Monday (21).

Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of 1.4 billion Catholics across the world, died of a stroke, causing a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, the Vatican said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minority youth face racist content online once a week, report reveals

As many as 95 per cent of respondents reported encountering violent or abusive racist content online. (Photo: iStock)

Minority youth face racist content online once a week, report reveals

MOST young people from black and minority communities in Britain encounter racist content online, a new study revealed, with more than half reporting it damages their sense of safety.

The "Youth, Race and Social Media" report published on Thursday (24) highlighted a troubling picture of online racism and its effects on young people aged 16-24.

Keep ReadingShow less