“This is a vital piece of work in policing”: Chief Constable Chris Haward on the national Police Race Action Plan

Today, 24 May, the NPCC and College of Policing have launched the Police Race Action Plan, designed to improve policing for Black people.

The plan aims to address race disparities affecting Black people and change the distrust that some Black people have in the policing service. It sets out several commitments that are aimed at helping to build an anti-racist police service.

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Chris Haward has voiced his support for the plan and described how it will be brought into the force.

“We are fully behind this plan in Lincolnshire, and I am committed to working to ensure its ambitions become a reality. It’s not enough that we simply do not tolerate racism, we must actively seek it out, stand up to it, and drive it out, wherever we might find it. We want to make sure we are an anti-racist force that serves all our communities with fairness and impartiality and that it is one which Black people can trust.

“Policing has come a long way, it is more inclusive, diverse and representative of our communities than ever, but there is more to do, and this national plan helps set the challenge and the standard. This is a vital piece of work in policing because it demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach to racism in the service. This is more than just looking at policing culture and overt behaviours, which we are already doing, - we need to examine our policies, practices and procedures to look at where pockets of discrimination might exist against Black communities and understand how they got there. By doing that we can eradicate them from the service and make sure they don’t creep back in.

“Since becoming Chief Constable I have made clear to the entire workforce of Lincolnshire Police my beliefs and subsequent expectations around inclusion and diversity. They are that we make sure that race, diversity, and inclusion is something that runs through the very heart of our culture and is just who we are. I want to ensure that we treat everybody fairly and with respect, regardless of their background, their religion, their beliefs, their race, their sexuality, their gender, the colour of their skin, and that we make sure we are the people who uphold the highest standards in society.

“We are moving forward positively. In the last few months alone, we have started taking a renewed look at our internal culture, practices, behaviours and values, and have been encouraging and having challenging conversations about these issues. We know that the vast majority of police officers and staff do not tolerate racism and come into work every day determined to deliver a high standard of policing to people in Lincolnshire, and we want to make sure that is replicated in all areas of the organisation.

“Now, the next steps for us are that we begin to look in detail at the actions set out in the plan and start to devise our own delivery and development plan.”

The full Police Race and Action Plan can be found on the NPCC website: The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and College of Policing website: Working together | College of Policing