Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
Actions are under way to address concerns raised at a Community Engagement Forum in Gloucester in January.
Members of the public had the opportunity to ask questions of senior leaders from the Constabulary and the Chair of the Community Legitimacy Panel, which is an independent group made up of people of Black, Asian and minority ethnic heritage who hold the police to account in relation to how they use their powers towards people from ethnically diverse communities.
The full meeting can be viewed here: Community Engagement Forum 2024 (youtube.com)
Areas of concern included how police tackle incidents involving those suffering a mental health crisis, strip searches of children, the length of time it takes to investigate complaints, stop and search, officers stopping lone black women in vehicles at night and the need to see more police data on inequality.
Members of the community volunteered at the meeting to be part of a focus group of Black women, who would assist the police in finding a pragmatic and acceptable solution to address the fears of lone women who are stopped by officers, and look at the wider concerns around violence and intimidation against women and girls.
The Community Legitimacy Panel (CLP) has already facilitated the first meeting of this focus group and police representatives to discuss how interactions can be improved.
A range of more in-depth statistics around stop search, use of force and strip search is also being developed and will be made available to the Community Legitimacy Panel. This will be presented at the next Community Engagement Forum.
These statistics will supplement data already available on the Constabulary website and www.police.uk.
Meanwhile, as part of work that was already in progress, officers are now asking those they stop and search if they have been treated with dignity and respect, and recording the answer on their stop search form.
It is hoped the question will ensure all officers remain empathic and polite during stop search encounters and that the data from the question will help make further improvements to how stop and search is conducted.
Chief Constable Rod Hansen said: “I want to thank the community again, to those who were there and those who joined us online, along with Teddy Burton, our Community Legitimacy Panel and Pastor Charles as host.
“Overall it was a very positive event. There were gritty conversations at times but that’s what we want. We need to hear the lived experiences of the communities we serve and we need to hear it raw.
“We were able to provide answers and reassurances in response to some of the questions raised but we recognise trust still needs to be built up, and some of the changes needed aren’t there yet, even though progress is being made.
“As part of the Police Race Action Plan we are fully committed to, a root and branch change in police training is taking place. We’re trying to change the inflection when it comes to how to resolve tension on the streets. We’re improving understanding of Black history, which is British history, and we’re striving to become a truly anti-racist and anti-discriminatory organisation, with a call it out culture where good officers speak up and we eradicate inequality.
“Tangible progress is being made and we remain committed to doing more, with the help from our communities.”
Teddy Burton, Chair of the Community Legitimacy Panel, said: “I am grateful to members of the community, my CLP colleagues and Constabulary representatives who participated and made the engagement forum a reality.
“However, the real success of these events is to be gauged in the measurable, or at least observable change/s, resulting from the necessary actions which must follow the discussions. I hope that, having shared the eight priorities which the CLP and the Constabulary have agreed to work on, the community will have a heightened focus on those areas to ensure there is accountability and, where possible, to assist in ensuring the achievement of those priorities; which are intended to make policing more equitable."
Members of the public had the opportunity to ask questions of senior leaders from the Constabulary and the Chair of the Community Legitimacy Panel, which is an independent group made up of people of Black, Asian and minority ethnic heritage who hold the police to account in relation to how they use their powers towards people from ethnically diverse communities.
Areas of concern included how police tackle incidents involving those suffering a mental health crisis, strip searches of children, the length of time it takes to investigate complaints, stop and search, officers stopping lone black women in vehicles at night and the need to see more police data on inequality.
Members of the community volunteered at the meeting to be part of a focus group of Black women, who would assist the police in finding a pragmatic and acceptable solution to address the fears of lone women who are stopped by officers, and look at the wider concerns around violence and intimidation against women and girls.
The Community Legitimacy Panel (CLP) has already facilitated the first meeting of this focus group and police representatives to discuss how interactions can be improved.
A range of more in-depth statistics around stop search, use of force and strip search is also being developed and will be made available to the Community Legitimacy Panel. This will be presented at the next Community Engagement Forum.
These statistics will supplement data already available on the Constabulary website and www.police.uk.