Thames Valley Police announces Race Action Plan for Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties

The plan will address a number of issues including underrepresentation within force, stop and search protocol and education for existing officers.

Thames Valley Police
Published 6th Feb 2024

The Race Action Plan aims to improve the trust and confidence of diverse communities, especially Black communities.

It also sets out to address any racial disparities within the Thames Valley Police workforce including recruitment and further education for current officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray is the lead for the plan and he outlined the four key pillars of the plan.

"Represented: We want communities to see themselves when they look at policing. This is about representation, retention and our internal culture.

"Respected: We want to treat our communities fairly, with respect and dignity. This is about eliminating any racial bias and disproportionality.

"Involved: We want to involve our communities in policing. This is about knowing where our communities are and improving our engagement with them.

"Protected: We want to protect our communities. This is about taking action if some communities get a different service than others. "

Murray also said change was "not going to happen overnight, but the best way to influence change is from the inside and that's what I'm going to do.

"It's important people see themselves represented in the force, so things like diversity of recruitment and disparity in use of powers when it comes to stop and search."

"This plan will hopefully set out our goals and help us build trust with the communities that are affected by it."

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