Institutional racism is a stain on our police force – we can’t ignore it any longer

Is racism still a problem in Britain’s police forces? In particular, does the nation’s biggest service, the Metropolitan Police, still suffer from what has been called “institutional racism”?

The evidence suggests that, whatever label may be attached to it, racism is still indeed an evil that successive police chiefs and ministers have failed to eradicate. It also seems to be that, in some instances, matters are getting worse.

In such circumstances, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that there are cultural, “institutional” factors at work, as successive enquiries have found and as some senior officers now admit. Despite respecting the bravery and dedication of individual officers, this is a cause for deep concern.