Seven years on from the civil disturbances sparked in Tottenham 201, by the killing of Mark Duggan by Met Police Officers, public relations between London Black communities and the Met are at an all-time low. This is both a crisis of confidence and policing legitimacy. The uncomfortable truth for London and the rest of the country, is nothing has changed and there has been no real improvement in relations since 2011. In fact quite the reverse is true, relations between the Met and London's black communities have become much worse.
The Annual Public Survey data supplied by the Met every year, charts the levels of public confidence in policing. This data show us that in London, Black and by that, I'm referring to African, Caribbean and Black British communities, community confidence has fallen of the scale, entering dangerous levels of distrust.
Over the course of the last 10 years, our communities have witnessed, according to the Met police data, a steadily decline in Black Londoners levels of public trust and confidence in the Met. These are now at precipitously dangerously low levels,. In fact I'd dare to suggest, they're the lowest ever recorded in London's long history.
And it's not just London that has seen a worsening of police/black community relations,. During the last year, right across the country, we’ve seen increasing anectdotal evidence of the extent to which the often taught relationships between distrustful black communities, and police services plagued with institutional racism, have deteriorated.
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| Ras Judah Bristol |
Then in July of last year, the Chair of the London wide and Lambeth’s, Stop and Search Monitoring Groups, Mohammed Hashi, (now an elected Labour Councillor) , was stopped by Met police officers on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, South London.
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| Cllr Dr Mohhammed Hashi Lambeth |
Though a formal complaint was made, by Mr Hashi to the police, after an internal police investigation, the Met, not unsurprisingly found that this stop and search was in their view, entirely legal.
An appeal against that decision, was then lodged by Mr Hashi, with the Independent Office of Police Complaints, who have recently concluded, there is indeed a case to answer. Mohammed, like Ras Judah has spent decades working hard with Lambeth Police Officers in an attempt to improve relations between local police and younger people.
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| Ken Hinds Tottenham, Haringey. |
After coming across a young black man being stopped and searched in Haringey, Ken stopped and observed the interaction, and when he sought clarity, as to the rationale and reason for the stop from the officers he too found himself subject to police abuse and then illegal arrest. Ken was detained and has subsequently been charged with police assault and obstruction of the police in the course of their duties. These are extremely serious allegations.
That seasoned black community representatives, many with long track records of working with the police, can be subjected to such police horrific racism, bears witness to the reality faced by young black people on the streets of London.
Alongside the realities of the Windrush deportation scandal, black communities are waking up to the fact, that we face real racism and massive injustices as a consequence of the growth and return of insidious levels of institutionalised racism within the institution of British policing.
The gains made as a consequence of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry recommendations, have been largely lost over the course of the last 25 years. Hard won gains, that have been slowly frittered away as a result of deep opposition and resistance, from a variety of senior national police officers at the time, the majority of whom were furious at the labelling and designation of British police, as institutionally racist institution.
They were all too keen to have this label lifted, and unethical politicians, including, the former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, were equally keen to declare that institutionalised racism is no longer an issue and at that point, the idea of anti racist policing practice was dead in the water.
The then Home Secretary David Blanket, less than two years after the publication of the Lawrence report, institutional racism had been deemed a description, as "unhelpful "and a term that increasingly, no longer applied to British police services.
Subsequent Home Secretaries, under pressure from senior police officers, began to dismantle the enhanced race equality agenda and policy monitoring infrastructure, designed to scrutinise and hold to account police services where race inequality and disproportionality was still a major feature of policing operations.
Now that reality has hit home with London's black communities, many who now feel the last 30 years of struggle, suffering the pain, and the tragic consequences, all in an effort to achieve an antiracist and just policing response from the Met, has now failed. And many like the Windrush generation, are realising, that just like a slow motion, car crash, we are witnessing, before our very eyes, the repeat of our tragic history of police oppression and urban outrage.
In Haringey, in response to the unlawful arrest of Mr Hinds, over 40 local, regional and national organisations met to discuss this incident. All signed a joint letter to Haringey Borough Cmdr, Chief Superintendent Helen Millchap, expressing serious concerns about Ken’s arrest.
Tensions are necessary running high in Haringey as a result. At a recent meeting these concerns were expressed with comments such as;
"If this can happen to Ken, who is been a supporter and adviser to the police, then what chance do we have?" and "This is what we have been saying for many years has been happening to us, and now it's happened again."
Such was the palpable level of anger in the room, that the meeting took the unprecedented decision to launch borough wide policing boycott, ending all contact and community liaison with the Haringey Police in protest.
The meeting concluded the following, which was sent in a formal letter of complaint, signed by a broad range of key organisations and individuals, to the Haringey Borough Commander;
"...that due to these allegations, we have lost all confidence and trust in police/community engagement. Community representatives who have been supporting community and police engagement will be directed to suspend any further interaction with the police, until further notice."
The letter, in support of Ken Hinds, agreed to;
· withdraw from further meetings with the police
· no longer engaged with the police on any discussions on policy, practice, or activities across the borough
· not at as a conduit between police and the community on any matters relating to the prevalent issues that affect our community
This explosive letter, bought an immediate written response from the local Haringay Borough Commander, pleading with the signatories to reconsider their planned boycott of all police liaison.
The implications of this local police boycott for London are immense and reflect the deepening crisis of police and community relations that haunts London's black communities. And the bitter truth is, this action could soon spread, in response to ever rising levels of discriminatory stop and search, police brutality and the consequent racial profiling that inevitably results in the mass criminalisation of London's black communities.
This level of oppressive policing and the racism experienced by London's black communities in the administration of criminal justice, has been ably demonstrated by the recent report on racism and criminal justice, published by Tottenham MP Mr David Lammy.
The Mayor of London really needs to fix this toxic mix before it explodes and London's modern history, inevitably repeats itself with tragic consequences for all. Put simply, London will burn if it does not learn.
The reality is that the arena of black community/police relations, in a City where the black population continues to grow, and tensions continue to rise, this Mayor needs, urgently requires experienced personal, with real political credibility to advise him. .
As for the Mayor himself, he needs real political testistical fortitude if he do anything more than issue sound bite press releases, designed to placate Daily Mail readers. Its to be remembered the Mayor has two years left, and in policy terms that means that what doesnt get done now, is unlikely to get done at all. The body bag count continues to rise and the time left for the Mayor to enact and then implement any effective and meaning full strategy has now passed. What isn't in place now is unlikely to get done at all.
Such is the concern at City Hall within the Mayors Office of Policing and Crime in London, that both London's Deputy Mayor's Sophie Linden and Mathew Ryder, have been dispatched to calm the restless natives and a critical community meeting is being held on Monday 21st May to discuss what happens next.
Not only are the arrest's cited above counterproductive, they're malicious offensive and possibly illegal, they also have a corrosive effect on the community credibility and authority of those activists seeking to improve relations between police and black communities.
They're personally undermined, their credibility in their own community is shot to pieces, whilst those that would argue there is no accommodation to be had with an institutionally racist police force, and who believe no progress is possible, look entirely vindicated and strengthened as a result.
In addition the newly elected leader of Haringey Council, Joe Ejifor will need to get a grip of this quickly. Areas such as Tottenham and Brixton can set the national tone for policing and remain deeply symbolic, touchstone areas, where policing is concerned. The new leadership of the new Council will be critical in getting this right and acting as a counter balance to the inaction and stasis at City Hall.
Constant criminalisation of black communities, through racist policing practices, the activities of immigration deportation squads such as Windrush, rising black school exclusions and criminally high levels of black youth unemployment, means we as a community are teetering on the edge of an seething abyss,
Such is the anger and turmoil, that such discrimination has the effect of raising temperatures to boiling point, such is the profound oppression and injustice we continue to face on day to day basis.
And the reality is that the treatment faced by these, high profile, hard working activists, is as nothing to the abuse faced by our communities at the hands of the police on a day-to-day basis.
But terrifyingly, what this does expose, is the sick reality, that if this is what’s happening to so called ‘high-profile black people’, some of whom, have worked with the police for decades, and they too can be subjected to such arbitrary police racism and malicious prosecution, then what chance does the ordinary young black man or woman on our streets stand ?
The recent call by Mr Neville Lawrence, on the 25th anniversary of the racist murder of his son Stephen Lawrence, for a race equality audit and revisit of the original McPherson Inquiry report recommendations to identify the extent to which police discrimination continues to impact upon black Londoners, is an idea whose time has come.
A suggestion that in fact, mirrors the Prime Minister's recently announced plans, to conduct a Race Equality Audit across government. I think the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor should be hauled in for additional scrutiny. They must either explain disproportionality'or change their practice, it's that simple. Explain or change.
The Prime Minister's independent advisory group on these matters, headed up by Operation Black Votes, Chief Executive, Mr Simon Woolley, would do well to focus on the Met police at this time and ask them to explain this precipitous deterioration in London'sBlack/police community relations
Institutionalised racism within policing and criminal justice, has returned with a vengeance. Racial and economic disadvantage, amplified by eight years of austerity and cut to public services, has led to a massive rise in wholly disproportionate negative outcomes for black people, in terms of policing and the administration of criminal justice.
Racial injustice initially identified by Lord McPherson report and latterly, further elaborated in David Lammy MP report, continues to illustrate the extent to which the culture of racial profiling, and illegal stop and searches continues to negatively impact London's black communities. Add to that socio-economic disadvantage, rises in poverty and violence, and you have a toxic mix, a powder keg community, being squeezed by austerity and oppressed by institutionally racist policing, a community that after almost a decade of both of mistreatment, feels to me like a community primed to explode.
This grim reality of ‘apartheid like policing’ and I use this term advisedly, to illustrate the stark current reality of two first-time offenders, one black and one white, being arrested in possession of a small amount of cannabis.
One will routinely receive a caution and the other will be sent to court for trial. This aprtehied policing is clearly demonstrated by a board range of published research. What this research shows is that institutionalised racism produces distinctly different policing and justice outcomes for British citizens, dependent on their race, ethnicity and religion.
Such discriminatory policing, does have a ring of apartheid about it leading to increasing levels of unfair and unjust criminalisation of London's black communities, by the Met, the courts and London’s criminal justice agencies.
And just like current Windrush scandal, everyone in power, the Mayor, the Commissioner and the Home Secretary, knows whats going on and all are happy to co-sign the criminalisation of our communities.
The on going crisis of trust and confidence of London's black communities in the Metropolitan Police Force, is well recognised both within the Met and the London Mayor's Sadiq Khan office.
The real problem, is the Mayor has no one of sufficient gravitas, political or community credibility and experience, to provide him with the informed advice he needs to hear, to effectively respond to this crisis. In short, neither the Mayor nor his current team, have the ability or imagination, to take on the Met Commissioners senior management team and force them to tackle institutionalised racism head on.
Instead the Mayor has little to say, if anything, about institutionalised racism and the Met. As a result this issue continues to boil on the back burner, with potentially devastating consequences.
The Mets own Annual Public Attitudes Survey that looks at levels of trust and confidence of distinct communities across the capital, clearly and consistently, demonstrate that London's black communities, have the lowest level of trust and confidence in the police service, of any ethnic group in London.
As can be seen by the graph above and the one below, trust and confidence levels as recorded by the Met and provided to me through FOI requests shows African, Black British/ Caribbean communities have the lowest levels of trusts and confidence in the capital.
Looking at Haringey, for the last quarter of 2016/17 we can see from the table below that there exists a massive deficit in black (my definition) public trust and confidence in the Met.
What this shows is that anything between 38% - 44%of black people in the Borough believe the local police are not excellent/good. I believe, startling though these figures are, I believe the reality is much worse than even these terrible figures suggest. It's clear to me, that had this survey been conducted amongst a wider sample of groups of young black people, these horrendous figures would be much, much worse.
The Mets own survey data 9left) shows, that what I describe above in relation to Hackney, is also true of every other single London Borough, where there exists significant Black/Black British/Caribbean/African communities.
This represents the most profound crisis in confidence in the history of the Metropolitan Police Force, mirroring the levels of lack of trust, last seen in the early to mid 1980s. It's that bad, and as the data clearly confirms is getting worse, over time.
It is absolutely critical, that this is addressed by the Mayor and the Met Commissioner, The fundamental principle of, policing by consent is under acute threat, and this, at a time when the Mayor wishes to increase, the oppressive use of stop and search, in response to increased violence in black communities.
This is a fundamental political error that repeats the mistakes of the past and will lead to similar outcomes.
Despite repeated warnings to both the current Mayor and the new Commissioner, about the on going deterioration of police and community relations, both have chosen to ignore, and sought to actively undermine such claims.
I very much see the real potential, subject to further incidences of police brutality and racism, for a London wide boycott of police community relations. This would constitute an entirely avoidable disaster for the capital, and indeed the country, but it's an outcome that is now almost inevitable, given the refusal of the London Mayor and the Commissioner to accept the reality and implications of resurgent institutionalised racism within Met.
Both would do well to remember the quote from Dr Martin Luther King., when asked to comment about the civil uprisings that occurred as a result, of Jim Crow, police racism and brutality, he said in response, " … a riot is the voice of the unheard.”
So far in relation to policing, London's black communities cries for equality and justice are falling on deaf ears, and as my Jamaican family often say, "those who can hear, must have to feel.
· withdraw from further meetings with the police
· no longer engaged with the police on any discussions on policy, practice, or activities across the borough
· not at as a conduit between police and the community on any matters relating to the prevalent issues that affect our community
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| David Lammy MP |
The implications of this local police boycott for London are immense and reflect the deepening crisis of police and community relations that haunts London's black communities. And the bitter truth is, this action could soon spread, in response to ever rising levels of discriminatory stop and search, police brutality and the consequent racial profiling that inevitably results in the mass criminalisation of London's black communities.
This level of oppressive policing and the racism experienced by London's black communities in the administration of criminal justice, has been ably demonstrated by the recent report on racism and criminal justice, published by Tottenham MP Mr David Lammy.
 |
| Mayor Sadiq Khan and Deputy Mayor Matthew Ryder |
The Mayor of London really needs to fix this toxic mix before it explodes and London's modern history, inevitably repeats itself with tragic consequences for all. Put simply, London will burn if it does not learn.
The reality is that the arena of black community/police relations, in a City where the black population continues to grow, and tensions continue to rise, this Mayor needs, urgently requires experienced personal, with real political credibility to advise him. .
As for the Mayor himself, he needs real political testistical fortitude if he do anything more than issue sound bite press releases, designed to placate Daily Mail readers. Its to be remembered the Mayor has two years left, and in policy terms that means that what doesnt get done now, is unlikely to get done at all. The body bag count continues to rise and the time left for the Mayor to enact and then implement any effective and meaning full strategy has now passed. What isn't in place now is unlikely to get done at all.
 |
| Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden. |
Not only are the arrest's cited above counterproductive, they're malicious offensive and possibly illegal, they also have a corrosive effect on the community credibility and authority of those activists seeking to improve relations between police and black communities.
They're personally undermined, their credibility in their own community is shot to pieces, whilst those that would argue there is no accommodation to be had with an institutionally racist police force, and who believe no progress is possible, look entirely vindicated and strengthened as a result.
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| Haringey leads of the Council Joe Ejifo |
Constant criminalisation of black communities, through racist policing practices, the activities of immigration deportation squads such as Windrush, rising black school exclusions and criminally high levels of black youth unemployment, means we as a community are teetering on the edge of an seething abyss,
Such is the anger and turmoil, that such discrimination has the effect of raising temperatures to boiling point, such is the profound oppression and injustice we continue to face on day to day basis.
And the reality is that the treatment faced by these, high profile, hard working activists, is as nothing to the abuse faced by our communities at the hands of the police on a day-to-day basis.
But terrifyingly, what this does expose, is the sick reality, that if this is what’s happening to so called ‘high-profile black people’, some of whom, have worked with the police for decades, and they too can be subjected to such arbitrary police racism and malicious prosecution, then what chance does the ordinary young black man or woman on our streets stand ?
The recent call by Mr Neville Lawrence, on the 25th anniversary of the racist murder of his son Stephen Lawrence, for a race equality audit and revisit of the original McPherson Inquiry report recommendations to identify the extent to which police discrimination continues to impact upon black Londoners, is an idea whose time has come.
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| Simon Wooley Chair of Race Audit Advisory Group and PM Thersea May |
The Prime Minister's independent advisory group on these matters, headed up by Operation Black Votes, Chief Executive, Mr Simon Woolley, would do well to focus on the Met police at this time and ask them to explain this precipitous deterioration in London'sBlack/police community relations
Institutionalised racism within policing and criminal justice, has returned with a vengeance. Racial and economic disadvantage, amplified by eight years of austerity and cut to public services, has led to a massive rise in wholly disproportionate negative outcomes for black people, in terms of policing and the administration of criminal justice.
Racial injustice initially identified by Lord McPherson report and latterly, further elaborated in David Lammy MP report, continues to illustrate the extent to which the culture of racial profiling, and illegal stop and searches continues to negatively impact London's black communities. Add to that socio-economic disadvantage, rises in poverty and violence, and you have a toxic mix, a powder keg community, being squeezed by austerity and oppressed by institutionally racist policing, a community that after almost a decade of both of mistreatment, feels to me like a community primed to explode.
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| Release research: The Numbers In Black and White. |
This grim reality of ‘apartheid like policing’ and I use this term advisedly, to illustrate the stark current reality of two first-time offenders, one black and one white, being arrested in possession of a small amount of cannabis.
One will routinely receive a caution and the other will be sent to court for trial. This aprtehied policing is clearly demonstrated by a board range of published research. What this research shows is that institutionalised racism produces distinctly different policing and justice outcomes for British citizens, dependent on their race, ethnicity and religion.
Such discriminatory policing, does have a ring of apartheid about it leading to increasing levels of unfair and unjust criminalisation of London's black communities, by the Met, the courts and London’s criminal justice agencies.
And just like current Windrush scandal, everyone in power, the Mayor, the Commissioner and the Home Secretary, knows whats going on and all are happy to co-sign the criminalisation of our communities.
The on going crisis of trust and confidence of London's black communities in the Metropolitan Police Force, is well recognised both within the Met and the London Mayor's Sadiq Khan office.
The real problem, is the Mayor has no one of sufficient gravitas, political or community credibility and experience, to provide him with the informed advice he needs to hear, to effectively respond to this crisis. In short, neither the Mayor nor his current team, have the ability or imagination, to take on the Met Commissioners senior management team and force them to tackle institutionalised racism head on.
Instead the Mayor has little to say, if anything, about institutionalised racism and the Met. As a result this issue continues to boil on the back burner, with potentially devastating consequences.
The Mets own Annual Public Attitudes Survey that looks at levels of trust and confidence of distinct communities across the capital, clearly and consistently, demonstrate that London's black communities, have the lowest level of trust and confidence in the police service, of any ethnic group in London.
 |
| MOPAC presentation at City Hall. |
Looking at Haringey, for the last quarter of 2016/17 we can see from the table below that there exists a massive deficit in black (my definition) public trust and confidence in the Met.
What this shows is that anything between 38% - 44%of black people in the Borough believe the local police are not excellent/good. I believe, startling though these figures are, I believe the reality is much worse than even these terrible figures suggest. It's clear to me, that had this survey been conducted amongst a wider sample of groups of young black people, these horrendous figures would be much, much worse.
 |
| Met Public Annual Survey (2016/17) on Trust and Confidence in Metropolitan Police Force. |
The Mets own survey data 9left) shows, that what I describe above in relation to Hackney, is also true of every other single London Borough, where there exists significant Black/Black British/Caribbean/African communities.
This represents the most profound crisis in confidence in the history of the Metropolitan Police Force, mirroring the levels of lack of trust, last seen in the early to mid 1980s. It's that bad, and as the data clearly confirms is getting worse, over time.
It is absolutely critical, that this is addressed by the Mayor and the Met Commissioner, The fundamental principle of, policing by consent is under acute threat, and this, at a time when the Mayor wishes to increase, the oppressive use of stop and search, in response to increased violence in black communities.
This is a fundamental political error that repeats the mistakes of the past and will lead to similar outcomes.
Despite repeated warnings to both the current Mayor and the new Commissioner, about the on going deterioration of police and community relations, both have chosen to ignore, and sought to actively undermine such claims.
I very much see the real potential, subject to further incidences of police brutality and racism, for a London wide boycott of police community relations. This would constitute an entirely avoidable disaster for the capital, and indeed the country, but it's an outcome that is now almost inevitable, given the refusal of the London Mayor and the Commissioner to accept the reality and implications of resurgent institutionalised racism within Met.
Both would do well to remember the quote from Dr Martin Luther King., when asked to comment about the civil uprisings that occurred as a result, of Jim Crow, police racism and brutality, he said in response, " … a riot is the voice of the unheard.”
So far in relation to policing, London's black communities cries for equality and justice are falling on deaf ears, and as my Jamaican family often say, "those who can hear, must have to feel.
