London, Feb.16 (ANI): A Runnymede Trust review has stated that Britains police force is still institutionally racist despite efforts to tackle the issue.
Criticizing the failure of the police force to promote and retain black officers and charging the force with overusing its stop and search techniques against black and multi-ethnic groups, the trust has opined that some police forces are still “dragging their feet” when it comes to recording and reporting racist crimes.
The findings come from the Runnymede Trust review, ”The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 10 Years On”.
Black teenager Stephen Lawrence was killed in an unprovoked racist knife attack by a group of white youths in April 1993. Ten years ago, the Macpherson Inquiry severely criticised the police for its handling of the subsequent murder investigation.
The Runnymede Trust singled out the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for praise for its work on recording and monitoring data related to racist incidents.
But the review found that in the intervening years since the inquiry, there were still significant problems.
It claimed that black and multi-ethnic officers were more likely to be dismissed than their white colleagues.
A disproportionate amount of black and multi-ethnic officers were also found to be leaving their careers in the police force early. And more work was still needed to get black and multi-ethnic people into the police.
The report stated: “Ten years after the publication of the Inquiry report, there is still significant progress to be made - notably in relation to the career experiences of black and minority ethnic officers and the disproportionate use of stop and search procedures against Black groups.
According to The Telegraph, the review mirrors a recent report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
It raises concerns about the disproportionate number of black and Asian people stopped and searched in most force areas, the high proportion of black men recorded on the DNA database and the fact that twice as many ethnic minority recruits drop out in their first six months of service compared to their white counterparts.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We are determined to work with the police service to offer fair and equal opportunities to all its members, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background. (ANI)