First Report On Police Powers Used Against Manchester BAME Communities Due by The End of Summer

The Greater Manchester Police is due to release its first report on powers used against people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds by the end of summer. The report is part of a new effort to ensure racial equality in the Manchester region by increasing police transparency. It is already known that Black people are much more likely to have force used against them by Greater Manchester Police.

Race equality reports to be released every three months

Since the Black Lives Matter protests, which started following the death of George Floyd, gained traction around the world, regional leaders in Manchester have expressed desire to build “stronger dialogue” with Black communities. The city leadership have paid tribute to George Floyd and announced that a race equality panel to address the structural and deep seated inequalities would be established. In order to increase confidence in law enforcement among BAME communities, police will also produce quarterly reports on the use of their powers.

Deputy mayor of Manchester, Beverley Hughes, said that there is currently a “huge focus” on scrutinising whether stop-and-search powers are being used disproportionately by the Greater Manchester Police. These concerns are especially relevant in light of publicly-available figures from 2018 and 2019 showing that Black people are three-and-a-half times more likely to face force tactics including handcuffing, restraint, use of batons, irritant sprays, tasers, and firearms. Police in the region has been found to be more likely to target Black people for stop-and-search too.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Hughes said that her office is committed to collating these figures to get a clear picture of the situation. She added that although the police are the main focus, the figures reflect wider inequalities in the society that also impact other marginalised groups such as the disabled.

However, Hughes praised the Greater Manchester Police for its efforts to address racial disparities and praised the police, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement, for the peaceful protests in the city which saw 14,500 participants.