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The Brixton Riots: Policing the Black Community in the last 40 Years
Since the 1981 Brixton riots, many things have changed in British policing.
However, Black people are still nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and three times more likely to be arrested; Black people are far more likely to be searched, arrested and prosecuted for using drugs, and yet are no more likely to use drugs than white people. This lecture explores the persistence of police racism and what we can do about it.
Black Britain & The Police
CLOSE X
THE PERVERSE, DEPRAVED MET POLICE OFFICERS, EX-MET OFFICERS AND SERVING ALONG WITH THE ORGANISATION NEVER CEASE TO SUPRISE AND DISSAPPOINT
November 2023 - Two Met Police officers convicted for assaulting 16-year-old Black boy
PC Gonen is suspended, and PC Price remains on restricted duties. Both officers will be sentenced on 24 January - The Voice Online
Posted on 27th December 2024| Lee Jasper
Lee Jasper, Chair of the Alliance for Police Accountability, Responds to the Convictions of Met Officers for Assaulting a Black Child
The conviction of two Metropolitan Police officers for assaulting a 16-year-old Black boy highlights yet another example of institutional failure within the Met, a force that continues to harm the very communities it is meant to protect.
This case, reported in The Voice, is tragically familiar. It follows the appalling treatment of Child Q, Child A, and Child X—all Black children subjected to humiliating, violent, and unjust actions by police officers. The parallels are chilling and undeniable. Black children in London face systemic over-policing, under-protection, and abuse, leaving communities angry and disillusioned.
The incident involving this vulnerable teenager, who was in a mental health crisis, represents a catastrophic breach of trust. What began as a call for care and support ended in violence and trauma. Instead of compassion, the officers responded with brutality—slapping, pulling hair, and using unlawful force. This is not a one-off incident; it is part of a pattern that underscores the Met’s ongoing failure to eradicate systemic racism and hold officers accountable.
A Brewing Crisis
Public confidence in the Metropolitan Police is at an all-time low. London’s Black communities have endured decades of systemic racism, and incidents like these only deepen the chasm of distrust. Let me be unequivocal: the continued failure of the Met to tackle these issues is pushing us towards a tipping point.
The APA has warned repeatedly that such systemic failures, if left unaddressed, risk culminating in a tragedy—a preventable death of a Black child at the hands of police. Such an event would almost certainly lead to widespread civil unrest, reminiscent of the uprisings we’ve seen in the past.
The warning signs are glaring. This is a moment for urgent action, not platitudes or half-hearted reforms. The time to act is now—out of the glare of publicity—to implement meaningful, systemic change.
A Failure of Leadership
While the actions of these officers are deeply disturbing, responsibility extends beyond individuals. This is about leadership—or the lack of it. The Metropolitan Police has failed to root out institutional racism. Worse still, the Mayor of London and his team have failed to implement a credible and effective system of police accountability.
Despite repeated calls from the APA for independent oversight, cultural transformation, and community-led accountability, little progress has been made. Apologies from senior officers like Area Commander Hayley Sewart ring hollow when the systems of accountability remain broken, and officers who commit egregious acts remain on restricted duties instead of being removed entirely.
The Mayor must take decisive action. The APA has outlined clear steps to address these systemic failures:
- Establish an independent oversight body with real powers to hold officers accountable
- Mandate anti-racism training and enforce a zero-tolerance approach to racist misconduct.
- Partner with communities to create local accountability boards that ensure genuine oversight and trust.
The Cost of Inaction
The cost of inaction is clear: further harm to Black children and communities, escalating public outrage, and the potential for civil disturbances. The time for excuses and incremental change is over. The Met and the Mayor must rise to the challenge or risk irreparable damage to their credibility.
The APA stands ready to support meaningful reform, but the clock is ticking. Black children deserve better. Londoners deserve better. The time to act is now.
Lee Jasper
Chair, Alliance for Police Accountability
Action for Race Equality - APA >> Steering Group Members
--
November 2024 - Ex-Met Police officer who sent racist message moans 'but there are worse cops convicted of rape and murder' >> READ -- MY LONDON
THE MET POLICE REMAINS MORALLY CORRUPT AND NEVER FAILS TO DISSAPPOINT BLACK COMMUNITIES
November 2023 - Two Met Police officers convicted for assaulting 16-year-old Black boy. PC Gonen is suspended, and PC Price remains on restricted duties.
Both officers will be sentenced on 24 January
The Voice Online
Voice Article Written by: Sinai Fleary
COMMENT
Posted on 27th December 2024| Lee Jasper
Lee Jasper, Chair of the Alliance for Police Accountability, responds to the Convictions of Met Officers for Assaulting a Black Child
The conviction of two Metropolitan Police officers for assaulting a 16-year-old Black boy highlights yet another example of institutional failure within the Met, a force that continues to harm the very communities it is meant to protect.
This case, reported in The Voice, is tragically familiar. It follows the appalling treatment of Child Q, Child A, and Child X—all Black children subjected to humiliating, violent, and unjust actions by police officers. The parallels are chilling and undeniable. Black children in London face systemic over-policing, under-protection, and abuse, leaving communities angry and disillusioned.
The incident involving this vulnerable teenager, who was in a mental health crisis, represents a catastrophic breach of trust. What began as a call for care and support ended in violence and trauma. Instead of compassion, the officers responded with brutality—slapping, pulling hair, and using unlawful force. This is not a one-off incident; it is part of a pattern that underscores the Met’s ongoing failure to eradicate systemic racism and hold officers accountable.
A Brewing Crisis
Public confidence in the Metropolitan Police is at an all-time low. London’s Black communities have endured decades of systemic racism, and incidents like these only deepen the chasm of distrust. Let me be unequivocal: the continued failure of the Met to tackle these issues is pushing us towards a tipping point.
The APA has warned repeatedly that such systemic failures, if left unaddressed, risk culminating in a tragedy—a preventable death of a Black child at the hands of police. Such an event would almost certainly lead to widespread civil unrest, reminiscent of the uprisings we’ve seen in the past.
The warning signs are glaring. This is a moment for urgent action, not platitudes or half-hearted reforms. The time to act is now—out of the glare of publicity—to implement meaningful, systemic change.
A Failure of Leadership
While the actions of these officers are deeply disturbing, responsibility extends beyond individuals. This is about leadership—or the lack of it. The Metropolitan Police has failed to root out institutional racism. Worse still, the Mayor of London and his team have failed to implement a credible and effective system of police accountability.
Despite repeated calls from the APA for independent oversight, cultural transformation, and community-led accountability, little progress has been made. Apologies from senior officers like Area Commander Hayley Sewart ring hollow when the systems of accountability remain broken, and officers who commit egregious acts remain on restricted duties instead of being removed entirely.
The Mayor must take decisive action. The APA has outlined clear steps to address these systemic failures:
- Establish an independent oversight body with real powers to hold officers accountable
- Mandate anti-racism training and enforce a zero-tolerance approach to racist misconduct.
- Partner with communities to create local accountability boards that ensure genuine oversight and trust.
The Cost of Inaction
The cost of inaction is clear: further harm to Black children and communities, escalating public outrage, and the potential for civil disturbances. The time for excuses and incremental change is over. The Met and the Mayor must rise to the challenge or risk irreparable damage to their credibility.
The APA stands ready to support meaningful reform, but the clock is ticking. Black children deserve better. Londoners deserve better. The time to act is now.
Lee Jasper
Chair, Alliance for Police Accountability
ACTION FOR RACE EQUALITY >> APA Criminal Justice >> APA Steering Group Members
---
November 2024 - Ex-Met Police officer who sent racist message moans 'but there are worse cops convicted of rape and murder' >> READ -- MY LONDON
Police and Thieves?
Baroness Casey Interview: Post Casey Report, Where Now?
Stop & Search: Dawn Butler Investigates
BLACK LIVES MATTER
STOP & SEARCH
BRIXTON RIOTS 1981
RACIST POLICING HAS YET TO END IN BRITAIN
As a police officer, I know stop and search is really about power - READ ARTICLE.
Met removes a thousand black men from controversial gang database
Februrary 2021
The Metropolitan Police have removed the names of one thousand young black men from a controversial database of gang members, almost a third of the database. The Gangs Matrix consists of the names and details of people that the Met perceive to be in a gang and likely to commit violence. The majority of the names removed were in what is called the ‘Green Banding’, meaning that they were found to have very low rates of offending and victimisation levels, if any at all, in the year before and after removal.
Police probed after black woman punched during arrest - BBC Newsnight
Eight Met police are probed after an innocent black female student was pinned to ground and punched numerous times, once at the police station allegedly assaulted again in the cells and was subjected to a strip search in the cell in front of male police officers.
Met police officers told they must justify pre-arrest use of handcuffs, read more...
NET POL
Know Your Rights
Core Messages
The core messages that everyone should remember are:
No Comment
- You do not need to answer police questions, so don’t.
No Personal Details
- You do not have to give them under ANY stop and search power, so don’t.
No Duty Solicitor
- Instead use a recommended solicitor with protest experience.
No Cautions
- Accepting a caution are an admission of guilt, so don’t.
What Power?
- Ask officers what power they are relying on to challenge them to act lawfully.
NETPOL - Finding a Solicitor
Defend you if arrested / charged by the police:
find a list of recommended solicitors
Make a complaint about or sue the police:
find a list of recommended solicitors
Provide support for prisoners:
find a list of recommended solicitors
Challenge the lawfulness of legislation or policies:
find a list of recommended solicitors
GOV Ethnicity Facts & Figures service
The stop and search process
A police officer or a police community support officer (PCSO) in uniform can stop you but only police officers can search you. A police officer does not have to be in uniform but they must show you their warrant (ID) card.
The types of stops you may encounter
Stop and account
This is when a police officer or PCSO stops you in a public place and asks you to account for yourself and may ask you:
- what you're doing
- where you've been
- where you're going
- what you're carrying
Stop and search
This is when a police officer stops and then searches you, a vehicle and anything you're carrying.
Vehicle stop
This is when a police officer stops a vehicle.
What will happen
What you should be told
The police officer or police community support officer must explain why you're being stopped and why you're being asked to account for your actions or presence in an area.
In almost all cases, you should be offered a record of the stop and account or stop and search at the time it happens.
The police use these powers to help make the local community safer by preventing and detecting crime. Naturally, public cooperation is an essential part of that.
Where you can be searched
Stop and search most often happens in public places. However, there are some powers, such as searching for firearms or drugs, which allow police to search people anywhere.
If you're in a public place, you may be required to remove your coat or jacket and your gloves, unless you've been stopped in relation to terrorism or where the officer believes you are using clothes to hide your identity.
If the officer asks you to take off more than this, or anything you wear for religious reasons, such as a face scarf, veil or turban, they must take you somewhere out of public view. This doesn’t mean you’re being arrested.
What to expect from the officer stopping or searching you
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
The officer must be polite and respectful at all times. We are committed to continuously improving standards around the delivery o service to our communities.
We're aware that the process may take a little time but it should be handled quickly and professionally. The police officer may ask a few questions and then, if they consider it necessary, will search you.
The search is not voluntary. If you don’t cooperate the officer can use reasonable force to conduct the search.
If the officer has a body worn video camera they'll record the encounter unless it's considered no longer necessary or proportionate.
If you're in a vehicle
A police officer can legally stop any vehicle at any time and ask to see driving documents, check the condition of the vehicle or deal with driving offences. This is not a stop and search and you may be given documentation relevant to road traffic matters. If the entire process ends there, this is considered a ‘vehicle stop'.
It becomes a stop and account if you or any passengers with you are asked to account for themselves.
If a police officer then searches the vehicle or persons in it, this is a stop and search.
Information you'll receive during a stop and search
The police officer who stops and searches you must provide you with certain information including:
- why you've been stopped and searched
- why they chose you
- what they're looking for
- their name and the station where they’re based (unless the search is in relation to suspected terrorist activity or giving his or her name may place the officer in danger. They must then give their warrant ID number)
- the law under which you've been stopped
- your right to a copy of the form
The information you'll be asked for
The police officer will ask for your:
- name and address
- date of birth
- ethnicity
You don't have to give this information if you don't want to; unless the police officer says they're reporting you for an offence.
What you'll be given
You should be offered one of the following:
- a written record of the stop and search
- a receipt at the time of the event
- a copy of the record emailed to you
- you may be told where to collect the record later
If you wish to complain either about being stopped or searched or the way it was carried out, this record/receipt will help identify the circumstances.
The search record must contain the following information:
- the officer's details
- date, time and place of the stop and search
- reason for the stop and search
- outcome of the stop and search
- your self-defined ethnicity
- vehicle registration number (if relevant)
- what the officer was looking for and anything they found
- your name or a description if you refuse to give your name
Exceptions
You've not been subject to a stop and search if, for example:
- you're searched as a condition of entry to premises or an event
- you're searched following an arrest
- you're searched in premises that are being searched under a warrant from a court
In cases like these, a stop and search record will not be made and you'll not be given a receipt
You've not been subject to stop and account if, for example:
- you stop an officer to ask for directions or information
- you've witnessed a crime and are questioned about it to establish the background to the incident
- you've been in an area where a crime recently occurred and are questioned about what you might have seen
In cases like these, a record of the encounter will not be made and you'll not be given a receipt.
SPY COPS - Police in Swansea, South Wales, UK attempt to recruit Black Lives Matter activist as an informant
Lowri Davies exposes Welsh Police who unsuccessfully attempted to recruit her for information on Black Lives Matter.
Lowri is one of the co-founders of the Swansea Black Lives Matter group and this is the first known public record of police attempting to recruit a mole from a member of the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain.
What happened to the #Swansea #BlackLivesMatter organiser, @_lowridavies, was unacceptable
— Sioned Williams AS/MS (@Sioned_W) November 2, 2021
The freedom to protest peacefully & without police interference is a fundamental democratic right@swpolice must apologise to Lowri & protect activists' rights rather than intimidate them pic.twitter.com/i49pxva7Ef
The police have sought to recruit a mole within the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK.
The anti-racism campaigner Lowri Davies shared the recording with the Guardian to raise awareness of what she alleges were “distressing” techniques used to try to manipulate her into providing information to the police.
UPDATE: 14 Feb 2022
BLMSwansea. We’re dissolving our organisation for a number of reasons, including the physical and mental safety of all of our team members. Whilst we have found that our organisation has done some important work Read Twitter thread 1-5
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
43 UK POLICE FORCES
Britain’s most senior police leaders are considering making a public admission that their forces are institutionally racist, the Guardian has learned.
High-level discussions began on Thursday and come as their special adviser on race says the declaration is needed if promises of radical reform are to be believed by black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. More discussions will be held in January, and a decision from police chiefs is expected in February.
"The race crisis that has gripped policing led to thousands of people taking to the streets across the UK in support of Black Lives Matter, triggered by the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in the US in May 2020."
Read: Guardian Exclusive
POLICE INTEGRITY MATTERS
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POLICE INTEGRITY LINE
As a police employee, you can use this form to give information, or you can call 0800 111 4444 - both services enable you to stay 100% anonymous. Always.
Talking to one of our Crimestoppers call agents helps you to provide the full picture and ensures the best use can be made of your information. Be sure to give as much detail as you are able because unless you take up the two-way option, it is impossible for us to ask you any questions to develop the report.
Phone calls are not recorded or traced and all information is submitted over an encrypted connection.
If you are prepared to pass on your details to allow an Investigator from your force to contact you, please do so - otherwise, you will remain totally anonymous.
POLICE INTEGRITY LINE FORM
Tell us what you know.
If you have information on wrongdoing occurring within the organisation in which you work, you can let your employers know, 100% anonymously, by filling in the form below. Please give as much information as you can, as this will help up your company investigate the matter effectively.
Our Integrity Line guarantees 100% anonymity as standard - using encrypted connections - unless you wish to leave your details, in which case they will be treated confidentially.
If you would prefer to speak to someone, you can contact your Integrity Line, 100% anonymously, 24/7, by using the phone number provided by your employer. Talking to one of our call agents will help you give us the information that will inform those who are able to address the situation.
IOPC
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
Read all the information IOPC hold on each police force in England and Wales. This includes details about our investigations, news releases and anonymised summaries and recommendations. You can filter the information by date, type or area of interest.
IOPC also publish performance data for each force. This sets out how they handle and resolve complaints.
Make a complaint
Make a complaint
In the context of the police complaints system, the law describes a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction with a police force that is expressed by or on behalf of a member of the public.
You can complain directly to the police/other organisation (see ‘Who can I complain about?’ below for a list of the other organisations) or via the IOPC. If you complain via the IOPC, your complaint will be sent direct to the organisation involved. They will assess your complaint and contact you about how it will be handled. The IOPC will not be involved with this initial assessment of your complaint.
If you are trying to raise concerns about something you have seen on social media or in the news or heard about from another person, please read this further information.
Before you submit a complaint, we recommend that you read the information in the drop-down sections below.
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
The United States Library of Congress has selected our website https://www.blacklivesmatter.uk/ for inclusion in the Library's historic collection of Internet materials related to the Protests Against Racism Web Archive.
They consider our website to be an important part of this collection and the historical record.
The Library of Congress preserves important cultural artifacts and provides enduring access to them. The Library's traditional functions, acquiring, cataloging, preserving and serving collection materials of historical importance to foster education and scholarship, extend to digital materials, including websites. The libary web archives are important because they contribute to the historical record, capturing information that could otherwise be lost. With the growing role of the web as an influential medium, records of historic events could be considered incomplete without materials that were "born digital" and never printed on paper.
When will our archived site be available to researchers?
Web archive collections are made available as permissions, Library policies, and resources permit. The Library will generally wait at least one year from initial capture of our website before making it available to researchers.
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