Tackling disproportionality in policing & Criminal Justice System

Organisations working in policing, justice and youth services will be at City Hall today for a meeting convened by Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden and the Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Matthew Ryder to discuss the disproportionate number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals across the capital who come into contact with the police and criminal justice system, particularly as the victims of crime .

Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Metropolitan Police Service and many other key organisations will answer questions from City Hall about why the figures are disproportionaate and discuss how they might be able to tackle the issue.

Today’s public meeting is being jointly chaired by London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden and the Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Matthew Ryder. It follows important work already undertaken including the Young review* and the recent Lammy review**, both covering racial inequality in the criminal justice system.

Research by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime shows that Black and mixed ethnicity Londoners are significantly less likely to feel that the police treat everyone fairly, listen to the concerns of local people or do a good job locally. Young black people in particular do not have confidence that stop and search powers are used fairly, and BAME individuals are also more likely to be victim across many crime types, especially criminal damage, robbery and violent offences***.

The Justice Matters session will look at how the Lammy review recommendations and the government’s response will affect London. It will also consider how City Hall can support the implementation of those recommendations and drive forward improvements within London’s policing and criminal justice system for BAME Londoners.

Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, said: “The safety of all Londoners is the Mayor’s first priority and that’s why it’s so important that we have a policing and criminal justice system that serves and protects everyone, regardless of their ethnicity or background.

“Disproportionality in the treatment of different groups of Londoners is usually a strong indication that there is unfairness within the system and such unfairness is unacceptable. We are working tirelessly with the Met and other partners to improve these issues. Techniques such as stop and search are valuable tools to combat crime, particularly violent crime, but they must be targeted, intelligence-led, transparent and accountable with the use of Body Worn Video. I want to reassure Londoners that we are monitoring its use very closely.

“I hope today we can work together to agree some practical steps to driving real long-term improvements for BAME communities across the capital.”

Deputy Mayor of London for Social Integration, Social Mobility, Community Engagement, Matthew Ryder, said: “The recent findings of the Lammy review provide evidence that many BAME people are not being treated fairly in the criminal justice system, particularly young BAME people.

“It is vital that such unfairness is tackled head on. we must take a robust, evidence-based approach to solving these problems, working closely with local communities, in the way that the Lammy review and others suggest. I am committed to fully understanding the complex issues at play here and WE will be working together with colleagues as part of Justice Matters to help ensure we have a criminal justice system that works for all Londoners.”

Justice Matters is one of the principal mechanisms through which the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime consider the issues that are most pressing in London and, with partners, lay out a response in a public setting. Disproportionality is regularly reviewed by the Mayor as part of the London Crime Reduction Board.