The London Assembly has today called on the Mayor to ensure that all employees in the Metropolitan Police Service are trained in recognising unconscious bias and take refresher courses at least every two years.
Siân Berry AM, who proposed the original motion said:
“The police as a service is failing if the public don’t trust their officers and don’t trust they will be treated fairly.
“We’ve had some very high profile incidents of Black Londoners being stopped and searched in upsetting and humiliating ways, and this is against a backdrop of harsher policing tactics being used disproportionately against Black communities.
“There is a problem in the Metropolitan Police Service, from individual officers to strategic policies, but at the very least, everyone working for the police should have this basic training.”
Unmesh Desai AM, who proposed the amended motion said:
“The events of the last few months have thrown the urgent need to tackle racism in both its overt and systemic forms into sharp relief.
“It is clear that the Met needs to keep working towards building a closer and trusting relationship with the communities it polices. To this end, it is crucial that its enforcement tools, such as stop-search, are deployed in a fair and proportionate way.
“It has been encouraging to see the Met make significant progress in requiring its officers to undergo regular unconscious bias training. Going forward, it is important that the Mayor plays his part to ensure that this good work continues, and that this training is extended to cover all of the Met’s ranks.”
The full text of the amended motion is:
“This Assembly welcomes the work the Mayor has done in ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is committed to unconscious bias training as an integral part of officer and staff development and notes that approx. 23,000 MPS employees have received training on unconscious bias, with regular refresher training sessions and included as part of mandatory professional development.
This Assembly calls on the Mayor to ensure that the remaining MPS employees undertake this training and that the MPS continues along this path, with the rest of the GLA family by ensuring that all employees are trained in recognising unconscious bias, and undertake refresher courses at least every two years.”
Notes to editors
- Watch the full webcast.
- The motion was agreed 14 votes for and 7 against.
- Siân Berry AM, who proposed the motion, is available for interviews.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Aoife Nolan on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.