Chief Constable defends Merseyside Police over ‘institutional racism’ claim
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Serena Kennedy said she “categorically” does not believe Merseyside Police is institutionally racist, in a statement issued in response to comments by her boss, Emily Spurrell. Ms Spurrell added: “She wants to own a problem, she acknowledges that there is an institutional racist problem, she fears the damage it might do to serving police officers and the importance of getting them on board.” Institutional racism was the term used by retired judge Sir William Macpherson in his 1999 report into how the Metropolitan Police dealt with the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the black teenager who was stabbed to death in a racist attack in south-east London in 1993. And Dorset PCC David Sidwick said: “The fact that the NPCC are going to globally say that every police force in the country is institutionally racist, I find quite offensive.” Both the Merseyside Chief Constable and PCC released statements on Thursday addressing the issue. It means recognising some of those structures are outdated and that they don’t work for all our communities now.” Ms Kennedy’s statement said: “I categorically do not believe that Merseyside Police is institutionally racist.
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