Today, (10th October) sees the publication of Government’s Race and Disparity Audit. The report highlights what more needs be done regarding policing to improve the experiences of black and minority ethnic (BME) people.
In August 2016, the Prime Minister announced her commitment to carry out the Race Disparity Audit, publishing Government data on differences in treatment and outcomes experienced by minority groups.
Amongst other topics, the report asks questions including; are BME people more or less likely to be arrested, do they have confidence in the police, how often are they stop & searched and what proportion of the BME community wish to pursue a career in policing.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey David Munro said: “I welcome this report and its findings and am pleased that this topic is being taken seriously whilst being brought to the public’s attention.
“As APCC National lead for Equalities, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR), I am committed to helping challenge misconceptions and safeguarding vulnerable people.
“Although I am pleased to see this audit marking progress to address current crime and policing issues and measures being taken by police forces to educate officers and support minority communities – I know for many BME people, they still too often feel they’re experiencing discrimination which suggests to me, more needs to be done to support all communities. Despite this, I believe the audit marks a movement in government policy and future policing and I hope this spurs positive changes in the wider community.
“From a Surrey perspective, my main priority is to see that all those living, working and visiting our county are treated fairly no matter what their ethnicity or background. Therefore, I will continue to actively encourage everyone to seek opportunities in policing and hope this audit demonstrates our commitment nationally to inclusivity as well as highlighting that we do not tolerate any form of hate crime or discrimination and urge anyone that feels they’ve been victim of poor or unfair treatment to get in contact.”
Data from the report will be published on Gov.uk under the title of Ethnicity Facts and Figures and will be updated annually to ensure the public can track improvement and better hold services to account.