FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In Important Election Year, APA Condemns Racially Charged Attack on Met BPA Chair And Backs National Black Police Association (NBPA) Presidents Calls for a National Discussion about Black Police Recruitment Boycott.
Date: Monday, 5th February 2024
The Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) strongly condemns the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) recent racially motivated misconduct investigation against the Chair of the Met Black Police Association (Met BPA), Charles Ehikioya.
This act of suppression highlights the systemic racism ingrained within the MPS, as revealed by the Casey Review in 2023, which found Black officers to be disproportionately subjected to misconduct investigations.
APA Chair Lee Jasper stated, "The MPS's targeting of the Met BPA Chair is an egregious attack on the campaign for racial justice in the Met and an extension of this government's phoney ideological war on the woke.
However, this year will see the Mayor of London and a general election take place. It's more crucial than ever for us to challenge systemic police racism. The MPS's weaponisation of the misconduct system against Black officers is unacceptable. It demonstrates the reality of a toxic policing culture of racism and discrimination that must be brutally confronted and completely dismantled."
In light of the upcoming Mayoral and General elections, the APA will be collaborating with a range of national Black organisations, including the NBPA, to demand greater action against racism within the MPS.
Jasper added,
"2024 is not just any year; it's a pivotal moment for us to hold the MPS accountable. The MPS year-old Turnaround Plan and the Mayor's Action Plan - now four years old - are deeply emblematic of failed and outdated policy approaches, filled with warm words and pious statements but with no substantive action or outcomes. We repeat ad nauseam that the MPS Commissioner's routine denial of the existence of institutional racism is a significant and fundamental blind spot, preventing any real progress."
The investigation into the Met BPA Chair, instigated after he highlighted senior officers' misconduct and the racism faced by colleagues, appears to be a concerted effort to silence a prominent voice for racial equality within the force. The restrictions placed on the Chair, including barring his involvement in discrimination cases and attendance at MOPAC meetings, are a clear attempt to silence black voices for racial justice.
The APA echoes the sentiments of Leroy Logan MBE, Janet Hills MBE, and Mina Smallman regarding the challenges Black police officers and activists face within the MPS. Andy George, President of the NBPA, has voiced a lack of confidence in the MPS's leadership to enact necessary reforms, suggesting a temporary halt on BAME recruitment into the MPS until significant changes are made. The APA believes this approach should now be discussed nationally among a range of national Black organisations as an urgent priority.
President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), Andy George, said, "Given the crisis in confidence highlighted through so many incidents and reports, I cannot say that we can adequately protect and support officers of colour within the MPS. For that reason, I take the extraordinary step of saying that we no longer have confidence in the Commissioner or his senior leadership team to bring about the necessary and promised reforms to the service. I also regretfully recommend that anyone from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds do not join the MPS until there is more rigorous accountability placed on the Commissioner and more resources are given to the Met BPA so they can provide wrap-around support to those in need.”
The APA fully supports the NBPA's demands for an immediate end to the racially motivated investigation against the Met BPA Chair. We call for genuine, transparent reform within the MPS to eliminate systemic racism and restore trust in the communities they are meant to serve. As we approach critical election milestones, the APA, alongside our partners, will intensify our efforts in demanding a policing system that is fair, just, and accountable to all Londoners.
End of Release
About the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA): The APA is a coalition of activists, community leaders, and justice advocates dedicated to systemic reform within the policing system. Our mission is to ensure fairness, justice, and accountability, promoting a policing culture that respects and protects the rights of all communities, particularly those historically marginalized and oppressed by systemic racism and discrimination.
