Police told to release ethnicity of suspects in high profile cases after string of secrecy rows

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Police forces have been told to release a suspect's ethnicity in high profile cases under landmark new guidelines.
Forces will disclose the ethnicity and nationality of a suspect when it could reduce the risk of disorder, there are high levels of false information about an incident or there is significant public interest.
Decisions on whether to release the information after a suspect is charged will be made by senior investigating officers and communications chiefs at the individual force.
The new interim guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council follows a series of controversies in which police were criticised for a lack of transparency over the ethnicity of suspects.
Conversations about updating guidelines began following last summer's disorder, which was sparked by the Southport murders of three young girls by Axel Rudakubana.
At the time, Merseyside Police were criticised for releasing scant information about the teenage suspect, and online speculation and disinformation took hold.
More recently, the Mail on Sunday revealed last week that Afghan asylum seekers Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, both 23, had been charged over the alleged rape of a schoolgirl in Nuneaton, after sources told the paper their ethnicity had been kept from the public to avoid ' inflaming community tensions.'
'We saw during last summer's disorder, as well as in several recent high-profile cases, what the major, real-world consequences can be from what information police release into the public domain,' deputy chief constable Sam de Reya, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said.
'We have to make sure our processes are fit for purpose in an age of social media speculation and where information can travel incredibly quickly across a wide range of channels.
'Disinformation and incorrect narratives can take hold in a vacuum. It is good police work for us to fill this vacuum with the facts about issues of wider public interest.
'Our aim with this guidance is to provide greater consistency with how we report this information.
'Being as fair, consistent and transparent as we can will improve confidence in policing as the definitive source of this information - making all our communities safer in the process.'
Police forces will not verify a suspect's immigration status, which is information held by the Home Office.
Previously, when a suspect is detained, police forces in England and Wales provide just their age, as well as where and when they were arrested.
Following a charge, the name, date of birth and address is usually provided.
In cases when there is a long time between an arrest and charge, forces will exercise their own discretion over whether a suspect's ethnicity is released.
The guidance, which has been sent to all forces in England and Wales and comes into immediate effect, affects suspects who have been charged with a crime - not just following an arrest.
In May, Merseyside Police acted quickly to confirm that they had arrested a '53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area' after a car ploughed into crowds during the Liverpool FC victory parade.
The move marked a shift in tactics by the same force criticised over its handling of information about the Southport killer, and was a clear attempt to eliminate inaccurate speculation on social media that the car driven at Liverpool fans was linked to migrants or an Islamic terror attack.
And Sir Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing, said it was the correct decision and was an example of a force sensibly releasing information for a policing purpose.
'That was a good decision and good practice by Merseyside Police,' he said.
'Forces are empowered to release information in this way if it serves a policing purpose.'
Forces would not be able to release information not held by the police, such as immigration status and religion, he clarified.
'These guidelines are about suspects who have been charged but this is a substantial step by the police towards being as open and transparent as possible, in a way that doesn't affect the right to a fair trial, so we can maintain public trust, tackle disinformation and minimise community tensions that arise out of that.
'What we can't do is release everyone's information that we don't own, that isn't verified.
'And the release of this information must serve a policing purpose, not purely to satisfy the curiosity of people who would like to know.'
The Crime Reporters Association and the Society of Editors have long fought for greater openness and transparency from policing.
An independent watchdog concluded in March that failure to share basic facts about Rudakubana led to 'dangerous fictions' which helped to spark the riots.
A Home Office spokesman said it welcomed the new interim guidance from the police.
'The public, and police forces themselves, want greater clarity on when, why and how information is released and the legitimate and compelling reasons it may need to be withheld,' they said.
'The Home Office will support that effort by authorising the release of relevant accompanying immigration information in future cases, where it is appropriate to do so, and where the police have requested it. All cases will of course take account of consultation with the police and CPS.
'The government also asked the Law Commission at the end of February to speed up the elements of its review around the law of contempt in relation to what can be said publicly ahead of a trial.'
'The government also asked the Law Commission at the end of February to speed up the elements of its review around the law of contempt in relation to what can be said publicly ahead of a trial.'