PCCs, Parliamentarians and partners discuss race disparity at virtual event
The importance of Police and Crime Commissioners having made diversity and social justice a priority in their Police and Crime Plans for Chief Constables to deliver against was highlighted at a virtual event this week.
More than 70 people including PCCs, MPs, Peers, Chief Constables and others joined the inaugural Spotlight On… event on Tuesday 2 February. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners is developing the Spotlight On… programme of events to share good practice and showcase to Parliamentarians the work PCCs are doing locally and nationally.
This week’s discussion was on Race Disparity, inspired by the APCC’s latest Race Disparity In Focus which details various initiatives PCCs are leading on to boost workforce representation and tackle disproportionality in the criminal justice system across England and Wales.
HMI Wendy Williams CBE was the keynote speaker, drawing on her experience as the independent lead of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. She spoke of the importance of leadership, and praised PCCs for making race disparity a priority.
APCC Chair Paddy Tipping, who chaired the event, said afterwards: “Wendy gave a very informative and thought-provoking speech on legitimacy, touching on key subjects like stop and search.
“We are grateful to her for her time. Ultimately, we are all here because we want to make a difference. We can do it, and will do it.”
Derbyshire PCC Hardyal Dhindsa - who is also the APCC’s portfolio lead on hate crime, and North Yorkshire PFCC Julia Mulligan, both spoke about their work nationally and locally in holding forces to account on issues like workforce disproportionality and the fair enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions.
Others on the call who participated in a lively Q&A included Kim Johnson MP, NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt, Montell Neufville from the Bedfordshire Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, Nina Champion of the Criminal Justice Alliance, and Keith Frazer from the Youth Justice Board.
The APCC will look to arrange a second Spotlight On… event in the coming months, to further showcase how PCCs are making a difference in their communities for victims of crime.