Gloucestershire Police chief vows to act on race issues

Gloucestershire Police says it is working to become more inclusive to support the national Race Action Plan.

The force's own figures show stop-and-search and the use of force is disproportionately applied to black people than white.

The figures also show that the number of black staff in the force does not represent the county's population.

Chief Constable Rod Hansen said he was "determined" to improve the situation for the people the force serves.

A Freedom of Information request by the BBC to Gloucestershire Police revealed the force carried out 69 strip searches in custody of under 18s in the last five years. Out of those, 51 were black, Asian or mixed race.

Recent initiatives to address racial discrimination in Gloucestershire includes the introduction of unconscious bias and bystander training.

"Whilst we have made progress many feel that the pace of change has been slow," added Mr Hansen.

"All who I have spoken to agree that there is much more to do.

"The NPCC Plan, coupled with our Better Together programme, gives us an opportunity to accelerate the necessary remaining changes."

Police in the UK have been under pressure to address racism since widescale protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis two years ago.

Every officer in England and Wales will receive anti-racism training under the Race Action Plan, which will be put out for public scrutiny before it is updated in December.

Avon and Somerset Police Chief Constable Sarah Crew is taking the lead role in identifying disproportionality in the Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice System report, which was published earlier this year, on behalf of all the local criminal justice system partners.

"Policing has the power to bring forward change. It also have the power to hold back change," she said.

"When it comes to policing and race, we need to be a power for change, not just for our institution, not just for the criminal justice system, but for our society as a whole."

Measures already underway in Gloucestershire Constabulary are aiming to deliver the same commitments as the national plan.

"Whether the Constabulary is institutionally racist or not is too important a question to be answered by us," said Gloucestershire Chief Constable Rod Hansen.

"Arguably those who are in receipt of our service are best placed to decide.

"I am determined to do all that we can to improve the position for those we serve and who serve alongside us."

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