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Macpherson adviser says Met Police is still racist
Simon Kirby16 Feb 2009
The Met Police has failed to learn all the lessons of the Macpherson Inquiry and remains institutionally racist, says one of the three men who oversaw the Stephen Lawrence report.
Dr Richard Stone chaired the Runnymede Trust's review of police, titled The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 10 Years On. The teenager was killed in a racist knife attack by a group of white youths in Eltham in 1993.
Sir William Macpherson - whose inquiry criticised police for their handling of the murder investigation - was advised by Dr Stone, John Sentamu, now Archbishop of York and Tom Cook, former West Yorkshire police chief.
Dr Stone's review praises the Met for great improvements in professionalism and first-aid training but says there is "institutional lethargy" in its bid to improve the recruitment, retention and promotion of officers from ethnic minorities.
Nationally, the number of non-white officers has increased by two per cent to four per cent in 10 years - well short of a target of seven per cent.
The Met appears to exceed this target with a figure of about 25 per cent, but most of those recruits are Police Community Support Officers.
Dr Stone said the Met had achieved little in this area despite plenty of effort: "You wonder whether the institution lacks the drive to make it work."
He warned that the early retirement of former assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur after a racism row had left multi-ethnic officers even more under-represented among senior police, adding: "There's only one chief constable in Britain who is black, Michael Fuller in Kent. When he goes, there won't be anyone to take a top job."
Dr Stone said that in 1999 black men in London were six times more likely to be targeted and today they are seven times more likely to be stopped than white men.
That the failure to properly address the issue was damaging the Met's ability to fight crime, he said.
Reader views (12)
"Institutionally racisct" or whatever it was called was such a abyssal stupidity. There is no way an entire instituton can be racist. That's like saying all blondes are dumb, or all men are sexist. If you ask me the McPherson report caused more harm to the equality issues than good.
- Juma, london, uk, 17/02/2009 14:46
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More of the same nonsense from the same people with the same big chips on their shoulders. . . boo hoo!
- Eoin Mcgreeghan, Derry, NI, 16/02/2009 22:18
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Oh - for God's sake - leave it out !
My flat-mate is black and she says the only time she feels different is when some well-meaning PC idiot reminds her that she is different !
- Kathy Doyle, London, 16/02/2009 17:17
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I don't believe that the Met is racist, or that it ever was.
The real racists in this country are those who have made it their mission in life to find offence around every corner and use the fear of being branded racist or xenophobic to stifle public debate and disadvantage the majority. Those in government who have not only allowed this to happen, but actively encouraghed it are equally as guilty.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 16/02/2009 17:08
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Bob from Cheam,
That is where you are wrong, you obviosly haven't done your research. I am part of a Chinese and South East Asian Support Group so get your facts right, it isn't difficult, its on the Met website!
- Paul, london, 16/02/2009 16:55
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Yes they're racist.....against whites.
- Minnie Ovens, London, UK, 16/02/2009 15:44
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Racist: A term too easily thrown around by the self loathing Labour party in attempts to favour minorities and exclude the majority white population. Also this term is ONLY used against the white population, that itself is racist when we all know racism exists in every race on this earth.
- Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kiburn, London UK, 16/02/2009 15:42
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it is impossible to eradicate inherent racism from any individual, let alone an organization. patriotism is a form or racism and given the history of England and every country with millennium of cross border fighting, not to mention internecine squabbles the feuding and instinctive distrust is deep in blood and bone. though we valiantly try to control and come to terms with are first instincts and cultural luggage we are but base human beings and have these hangups that were honed for self protection in times gone by.
during the second world war their was squabbling, petty jealousy and distrust among both allied forces and axis forces and all thought they had god on their side and held the moral high ground.
- Mike O'Brien, london.uk., 16/02/2009 15:35
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Can anyone out there, tell me of a police force on this planet that's not racist please ?
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 16/02/2009 15:25
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Everyone is racist to some extent, whether they are black, white or something in between themselves. Why you expect Policemen to be any different?
- Margaret Salafrio, St John's Wood, 16/02/2009 13:43
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Lord Macpherson was a well-meaning but terribly naive man. His assertion that anything is racist if a person complains that it is is so open to abuse it is frightening. I know of at least one person - who was Irish - who used the racist argument because he lost out in a squabble with a colleague and figured he would get his own back by this dishonest accusation. No one who learned the facts considered the complained of incedent racist but the company bottled it, obviously scared of being labelled racist, and censured the accused. What sort of sheletered life did Lord Macpherson live to come up with a finding that was so wide open to abuse.
- Smithy, Redbridge, 16/02/2009 13:31
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Of course the Police force is still racist, they have a Black Police Officers Association but there is no equivalent for other ethnic groups, this immediately makes them racist.
- Bob, Cheam, 16/02/2009 12:24
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