Head of Britain’s police chiefs says force ‘institutionally racist’

Gavin Stephens: ‘The way our policies, procedures and training have been designed for many years have not had the voices of black people involved.’ Photograph: Ch Cons Gavin Stephens

The leader of Britain’s police chiefs’ organisation has become the most senior serving leader to say that policing is institutionally racist, as he called for a fundamental redesign of national policies and practices to eliminate discrimination.

Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said black people should no longer experience disproportionate use of force, and that too little progress had been made to reform policing, with some leaders slow to accept the size of the challenge.