Developed in consultation with local communities. the Police Race Action Plan sets out a range of actions for West Yorkshire Police to deliver, aiming to create a police service that is anti-racist and trusted by Black people.
The plan contains a range of actions that include explaining or reforming the racial disparity in use of police powers, such as stop and search, developing a more effective response to reports of hate crime against Black people, and educating their 10,000+ workforce on Black culture.
Chief Constable John Robins said that police in West Yorkshire had so much more to do to build the trust and confidence of Black communities. “We accept that not enough has been done to eradicate discrimination, bias and racism from policing and from all public services in our society.”
This is a five year plan that derives from the national Police Race Action Plan published in 2022. It is broken down into four workstreams which aim to help Black people feel ‘represented, not over-policed, involved and under under-protected.’
Alison Lowe, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in West Yorkshire welcomed the energy being invested by the Chief Constable both in West Yorkshire but also across the country to tackling the disparities faced by Black people in policing and criminal justice. Adding, “I am pleased to be part of this work being done locally and hope there will be widespread engagement to ensure the views of the diverse communities we serve are fully reflected.”
Photo credit: Alison Lowe and CC John Robins at the launch of the plan. West Yorkshire Police.
