‘Two-tier justice' police chiefs criticised for saying ethnic minorities can be treated differently
Police chiefs have been accused of 'two-tier justice' over anti-racism guidelines that tell officers they do not have to treat ethnic minorities the same as other members of the public.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the guidelines amounted to 'unacceptable social engineering' when everyone should be treated equally before the law.
The Police Race Action Plan, drawn up by police chiefs, states that it is the police who criminalise people and that arrest rates should be equalised between groups.
It comes following a row over 'two-tier justice' guidelines drawn up by the Sentencing Council, which advised courts to 'normally consider' ordering a pre-sentence report about an offender if they were 'an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community', transgender, young or female.
The council backed down on Monday after being threatened with emergency legislation by Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary.
The police guidance, issued by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing, states that the commitment by forces to racial equality meant 'producing equality of policing outcomes for people from different ethnic groups' by responding to their specific needs.
It adds: 'It does not mean treating everyone 'the same' or being 'colour blind' (racial equality)'.
The guidelines say police should be committed to 'an end to racial disparities' in policing outcomes 'however seemingly impossible both may be'.
The police chiefs also say forces must 'become anti-racist', with the guidelines claiming that black people are 'criminalised' and that it is 'not enough' for officers to be merely not racist.
'Insane political correctness'
Mr Philp, who was policing minister during the last Conservative Government, said: 'This is Kier Starmer's two-tier justice at its very worst.
'It is appalling that this document says that people should be treated differently depending on their race. Everyone should be treated equally before the law regardless of colour, yet this document says the opposite.
'The document also refers to people being criminalised by the police – this is absurd, because people criminalise themselves when they break the law. And it asks for the police to artificially engineer the same arrest and charge rates across ethnic groups, with no reference to underlying levels of criminality.'
He added: 'The police should treat everyone the same, and investigate all crime. There is no room for social engineering or insane political correctness when it comes to arresting criminals and protecting the public.'
In the Commons, Mr Philp challenged Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, to 'agree with me that this two-tier approach to policing is totally unacceptable'.
Ms Cooper replied: 'The police operate without fear and favour, and they respond to the crimes that they face across the country and to the perpetrators of those crimes whosoever they should be and wheresoever they are.
'That is the right approach for policing to take, whether they are dealing with the most serious violence that we have prioritised or the neighbourhood crimes in communities.
'As you will know from the approach that we are taking to the Sentencing Council and the importance there of us bringing forward rapid emergency legislation, we are very clear that there can be no preferential treatment for anyone in the criminal justice system.'
'Ongoing mistrust'
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chairman of the NPCC, said: 'People from black communities have the lowest levels of confidence in the police, are under-represented in our workforce and are more likely to experience police powers such as stop and search or use of force.
'Recent independent inquiries by Baroness Louise Casey and Lady Elish Angiolini have also urged our service to renew its efforts to address racism and discrimination.'
He added: 'This historic and ongoing mistrust between the police and black communities risks for example people not reporting things to the police if they are in trouble or aiding our efforts to catch criminals.
'Explaining or reforming race disparities and addressing mistrust with black communities will mean we are more effective at fighting crime and protecting all communities.'
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