I welcomed the news of the the independent report into disproportionality in the Criminal Justice System (CJS), headed by the Rt Hon David Lammy MP. The initial findings are, sadly, unsurprising. There has been a wealth of research conducted in this area over many years, evidencing disproportionality in the CJS. The sad thing is, not much is ever done about it. This phenomena has persisted over decades and despite the evidence, successive governments and institutions have failed to act decisively.
One example of this is the disproportionate under-representation of black and ethnic minorities within the police service which has existed throughout the history of the service and continues to this day. There have been several reviews, reports, projects, guidance documents etc into this matter over several decades (Dismantling Barriers, Breaking Through Action Plan, College of Policing’s Leadership Review, BME Progression 2018 Programme to name but a few). Yet despite all this, meagre progress has been made. I worked on the BME Progression 2018 programme, personally consulting with 21 forces across the country. I was impressed with the work being conducted by a number of forces who were making good progress in addressing under-representation. However, sadly, there were also a number of forces who either failed to recognise the issue or be willing to act to improve it.
I have conducted research into this phenomenon and found that the individual values and bias of police officers may have an impact on this issue in terms of recruitment of BME, treatment, retention and progression. That bias will of course determine how BME communities are viewed and treated. This, I would argue, is the starting point. The CJS begins with police intervention and action. I would like to see the review incorporate this into its findings.
