Policing has been plunged into a “disastrous” new race crisis after the National Black Police Association withdrew its support for chief constables’ flagship plan to stamp out discrimination in the ranks.
The NBPA, which represents thousands of minority ethnic officers across the UK, accused police leaders of breaking years of promises of reform and allowing a “toxic” environment to destroy or blight the careers of black and Asian officers.
Chiefs are planning crisis talks to avert the potential collapse of their credibility on race, and one of the most senior minority ethnic officers ever to serve in British policing told the Guardian he quit because his fellow bosses lacked the will to change.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council announced in 2020 a race action plan for England and Wales, vowing to end decades of discrimination and greater use of force against black British communities, which it said threatened the police’s legitimacy.
It came as a direct result of the murder in the US of George Floyd by a police officer, which triggered protests around the globe.
The NBPA president, Insp Andy George, said: “We believe that the working environment is toxic and the experiences and views of black people and civil society organisations are neither listened to nor valued. This is not an environment that the NBPA can endorse or be a part of.”
Next month the NBPA leadership will meet to decide whether its boycott is made permanent. George said: “We are clear that at this time and in its current format the national race action plan cannot continue.”
The NBPA has spent weeks trying to balance involvement in a plan it felt was flawed against the loss of influence in trying to improve any reforms.
George said: “Over the last four years we have seen a significant increase in the need for support of our members who are experiencing racism and discrimination and a decrease in positive experiences of policing for black people.”
The association also accuses some chiefs of setting up their own groups for minority ethnic officers and staff to “gaslight” communities and quell criticism. Next week an employment tribunal brought by an officer who worked on the plan for the police chiefs is expected to start.
The former Met assistant commissioner Neil Basu, who served as Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, told the Guardian: “This is a disastrous moment for policing. The NBPA represents thousands of officers and staff across the country. Communities will be looking on aghast at the promises that have not been kept. Chief constables have had many opportunities to deliver a credible plan and have chosen not to do so.”
The NBPA says chiefs should be ousted from spearheading the efforts to reform their forces, and it did not rule out the Home Office taking over. It said: “This work must be taken out of the hands of chief constables and a national race action plan must be developed, implemented and embedded which has real power to force through improvements in all police services.”
Basu retired in 2022 and said his colleagues’ lack of commitment to race reforms led him to leave. Labour has consulted him as it prepares for government, and he said: “I hope a change of government will change the approach by chiefs. I hope a new government will realise how important this is for the safety of communities and not just morally the right thing to do.”
Gavin Stephens, the chair of the NPCC who leads the race action plan, said: “We have invited them [NBPA] to meet with us to discuss their concerns and hopefully reach a position where they feel they can continue to support the plan moving forward.
“There has been a renewed sense of purpose and direction under the new leadership of the plan since September 2023 and we plan on publishing our first ever progress report on the plan in a matter of weeks. This will give people a sense of what we have achieved and our future direction.
“What is not in question is that we will continue to listen to and seek the views of the NBPA to ensure the plan delivers for their members and black communities.”
