Anti-Black racism 'baked' into Metropolitan Police according to new report
The report by Shereen Daniels says racism is build into the 'institutional design' of the force.
A new report says discrimination is "baked" into the HR systems of the Metropolitan Police during a review of anti-Black racism in the force.
The probe concluded that the Met's systems, leadership, governance and culture are producing racial harm.
Shereen Daniels, author of 30 Patterns Of Harm: A Structural Review Of Systemic Racism Within The London Metropolitan Police Service, said discrimination is "baked" into the "institutional design" of the force.
"Plans that ignore this will always return to the same logic, manage perception, avoid power, thus continuing the cycle," she added.
The internal review, commissioned from the consultancy HR Rewired, said darker skinned staff are "labelled confrontational" while lighter skinned staff may receive quicker empathy and leniency.
The report draws on more than 40 years of evidence showing how racism has shaped the Met's relationship with black communities and affected black officers and staff.
Scotland Yard said it welcomed the report in full and recognised the scale of the challenges set out.
The latest examination of the force comes after Louise Casey's 2023 review, commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard, found the Met "institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic".
Reviews dating back decades have criticised the Met for being discriminatory, including the MacPherson report (1999) that called it "institutionally racist" after officers' mishandling of the Stephen Lawrence case.
Ms Daniels said: "Systemic racism is not a matter of perception. For almost 50 years, reviews of the Metropolitan Police have documented the harm experienced by black Londoners, officers and staff.
"True accountability begins with specificity. When institutions speak in broad terms of 'ethnic minorities' or 'diversity,' those most harmed disappear from view.
"This work begins where harm is sharpest, because that is where structural change must start. Anti-blackness is the clearest indicator of organisational dysfunction.
"The same systems that sustain racial harm against black people also enable other forms of harm. Confronting this is not an act of exclusion but a necessary foundation for safety, fairness and justice for everyone.
"For the Met, the challenge ahead is to build the leadership discipline to face what the report has revealed and act on its findings in a way that protects the public rather than the institution."
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, said: "Dr Daniels' report is powerful.
"It calls out that further systemic, structural, cultural change is needed. I asked for a review focused on the Met and black communities which challenges us to go further in becoming an actively anti-racist organisation.
"London is a unique global city, and the Met will only truly deliver policing by consent when it is inclusive and anti-racist.
"Initiatives like New Met for London and the London Race Action Plan are helping us make progress.
"The level of trust in the Met that black Londoners report is improving - by 10% in two years - but still lags behind others.
"We remain committed to listening, learning, and acting on their concerns.
"Working with black communities and colleagues whose experiences are reflected in Dr Daniels' report, we will be applying the same resolve to go after the patterns of discrimination that show up in our operational work, and within the organisation by identifying and addressing their root causes."
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor thanks Dr Shereen Daniels for her in-depth report and Sir Mark Rowley for commissioning this honest appraisal.
“It is clear that there are still systematic and cultural issues within the force that have not been tackled.
"Major cultural reform is underway - backed with record funding and support from City Hall - but the report’s diagnosis is stark. The Mayor is clear that Sir Mark and his senior leadership need to reframe their approach to accelerate the pace of cultural reform and deliver the necessary structural change across the force.
“There must be zero tolerance of all racism within the force and a lasting transformation in Met culture with no hiding place for officers who abuse their position of trust. That is the only way to confront institutional racism.
“The Mayor will continue to lead from the front and hold the Met to account as it makes these vital reforms and will not be satisfied until Londoners have the police service they deserve – one that is trusted and delivers the highest possible service to every community in our city.”