Macpherson report: 22 years on
Twenty-two years on from the publication of the Macpherson report that followed the Inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Home Affairs Committee has found that whilst policing has changed for the better in many areas, there are still serious and deep rooted racial disparities, and that neither police forces nor governments have taken race equality seriously enough for too long.
Joint Leads of the APCC Race Disparity Working Group, Alison Lowe, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in West Yorkshire, and John Campion, PCC for West Mercia, said the following:
“We welcome the publication today of The Macpherson Report: Twenty-two years on – as the newly-appointed Joint Chairs of the APCC Working Group on Race Disparity, this report and its findings will be crucial, as we draw PCCs together from across APCC Portfolios to tackle race in policing and criminal justice moving forward.
“We were glad to see examples of how PCCs have made a difference cited within the report. However, as the report underlines, we need to see more action and greater focus across England and Wales in order to ensure that all the communities that PCCs and Mayors represent can be confident in the police forces that serve them.
“The APCC has helped to share good practice amongst its members via our In Focus on Race Disparity and other initiatives. We look forward to driving progress through our Working Group nationally and with partners across policing and criminal justice.”
More information on the report and it's recommendations can be found on the UK Parliament website.