How the London Police have Reacted to Black Lives Matter Movement

As a result of the Black Lives Matter protests taking place in America in the summer months of 2020 ignited by the death of George Floyd and several years of racial injustice, the world has taken steps to reform society. Despite changes in policy over the years, the England police have still been working based on structures put in place in 1962. Sir Micheal Barber, a chair member of the police foundation has stated, “The police service of the future will need to look very different from the police service of today.”

In England, the London Metropolitan Police have recently announced changes they plan to enforce in order to improve. One advance they plan to make is to ensure that 40% of new members come from minority backgrounds in order to increase diversity within the department. The police department has also announced they will be introducing a program to encourage young black people living in London to join the London Metropolitan Police. Another change that they plan to make will be a review of future traffic stops to reduce the amount that people of color are stopped in comparison to white people. In a statement regarding these changes, London Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick stated, “[The London Metropolitan Police are] committed to eliminating the disproportionate use of force on black Londoners.”

The police department has been called out for past instances that have been viewed as racially motivated discrimination. One instance that caught major media attention occurred in July when British star athlete Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo Dos Santos were the recipients of a stop and search. The police reported that the reasoning behind the stop and search was because they had, “…witnessed a vehicle with blacked-out windows that was driving suspiciously, including driving on the wrong side of the road.” However, Williams believes that she was pulled over because of her race and the price of her car. Williams further disputed the police statement recalling that she and her partner had been driving on a single lane road. When sharing the details of the incident, Williams included, “My partner got dragged out of the car, they handcuffed him straight away and pinned him up against the wall. I didn’t want to be separated from my 3-month-old son [who was in the backseat of the vehicle], and they then put me in handcuffs straight away too.” The couple remained handcuffed for the duration of the police’s 45-minute search of the car. Mainstream attention was brought to this interaction through the spread of a video taken during the incident.

On another occasion that received media attention over the summer, Charles Ehikioya, a MET Security officer was pulled over by a fellow officer who accused him of speeding. The officer went on to request Ehikioya’s information to determine whether or not the car had been stolen. Ehikioya began the recording upon noticing the officer’s body camera had not been turned on. Shortly after Ehikioya began recording, the officer did as well. It was not until Ehikioya informed the officers of his position and showed his ID that the other officers left. In regards to the matter, Ehikioya stated, “They are both clearly racist police officers pretending to be polite whilst falsely accusing me without any evidence whatsoever of having committed serious criminal and road traffic act offences.” Ehikioya went on to add, “I believed I was racially profiled and received no apology.”

Through the implementation of the new measures, the London Metropolitan Police hope to have fewer of these instances moving forward. Ben Lindsay, the chief executive of an organization in Britain that aims to fight youth violence, said in a statement, “While the acknowledgment that historic and systemic racism has created a breakdown in trust between the police and black Londoners is welcome, there is still much to be done.”

The London Metropolitan Police are not the only police department taking action to reform their department following the protests. At the center of the unrest, police departments around the United States have also begun to make changes. One example of a change taken in Louisville, Kentucky, is the institution of “Breonna’s Law” in remembrance of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was a woman killed in her home when officers, not in uniform, entered her apartment with a search warrant. This law will ban future “no knock” warrants.

In Washington D.C., it was announced that a ban of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets against those who were a part of the protests as well as a ban against the use of neck restraints on those deemed “suspects” by police. Similar to D.C., the Davis Police Department in California will also ban the use of these neck restraints by officers. The state of New Jersey also has announced plans to ban these types of restraints. In New York, a plan was announced to reallocate a portion of the NYPD’s funds to other aspects of community improvement.

When looking towards how to make reforms that will last and have a positive impact, countries such as the United States and England have looked to the past successes and failures of other countries. The issues in South Africa in which police continued discriminate, despite the end of the Apartheid regime, have shown countries what not to do in this circumstance. Reforms put into place in Northern Ireland have been relatively effective, yet many citizens are still hesitant to trust the police. With limited knowledge of a working solution and established attitudes towards the police force, many countries still have a long way to go to create a system approved by the people. As the world still attempts to make improvements to work toward a more inclusive society, the changes implemented have shown the power of citizen voices around the world. While there is still work to be done, many view these changes as a step in the right direction.

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Written by Hannah Winnick.