Is UK policing institutionally racist?

Interview with Former Met Officer

When Louise Casey released her explosive report in March 2023, condemning the Metropolitan Police as institutionally racist, it sent shockwaves throughout British policing. Among other issues, the report found that Britain's largest police force remained disproportionately white despite London's increasing diversity. It also highlighted that black people faced excessive stop and search rates and the use of force.

In the ensuing months, police leaders in other UK cities felt compelled to assess their own biases and occurrences of racial discrimination. The Chief Constables of both the Avon and Somerset Police, as well as the Greater Manchester Police, publicly admitted that, following internal reviews, their police forces also perpetuated and upheld racist and discriminatory practices against minority ethnic groups. These admissions of institutional racism were accompanied by vows from senior leadership to reform their policies.

In January 2024, National Police Chiefs' Council leader Sir Gavin Stephens acknowledged that "structural and institutional discrimination operates at all levels within British policing." He called for a complete overhaul and fundamental redesign of national police policies and guidance to address and counter racial biases.

So why, despite all these damning verdicts, does former police officer Chris Donaldson dispute claims of institutional racism, even going so far as to call it a myth?

Journalist and Equiano Project director Inaya Folarin Iman interviewed Donaldson in 2021, during a tense period of police-community friction. Donaldson discussed his motivations for joining the force, the personal and professional backlash he faced, and explained why he believes persistent racism allegations ultimately have the most detrimental impact on young black men.

Watch the full interview below!

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