Click here to read about the new changes in stop and search.

Did You Know:
It was two years ago that Mike Best, then Editor of the Voice Newspaper wrote an editorial supporting the increased usage of Stop and Search against our community. His comments were supported by Trevor Philips who wrote “Post Macpherson, the police claim that they have been disinclined to use the power to stop and search for fear of being accused of racism. If renewed use of the power will stop these oh-so-sensitive souls bleating about their hurt feelings, then Mike Best has done the right thing.”

Annual Increase in African British Stops and Search

“On the other hand, we have not actually had a very strong push back from the communities, whereas I remember all the controversy there was in the 1980s over the stop and search powers, when it became a real focal point of racial tension”
Tony Blair, on Stop and Search, July 2004

A recent Home Office report has once again revealed African Britons are most likely to be stopped and searched than any other group in the UK. Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland described the situation as frustrating and said "We intend to aggressively address this, but I want to know more about why there is that level of disproportionality".

Despite this, on 6 July 2004 Prime Minister Tony Blair gave related evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee. In what seemed to be a series of politically motivated statements he chose to focus predominantly on issues surrounding the ‘stigmatising’ of the Muslim community and totally ignored the fact that African Britons were once again the primary victims of this misuse of police stop and search powers.

This continuing disproportionality and the corresponding low arrest rates with little evidence of crime being reduced or prevented, now indisputably refute Police claims of stop and search policing being driven solely by intelligence. Indeed there is now sufficient evidence for the Government through the Commission for Racial Equality to bring legal action against Chief Constables and individual officers on the grounds of indirect racism using the race relations legislation. Despite this a new Stop and Search Action Team is investigating a matter that has researched, reported and thoroughly documented. Ligali has sent a letter to the Prime Minister after he asserted that we as a community wanted ‘tough policing’.

In 1981 the Scarman Report highlighted the discriminatory impact of police stops and searches on African British youth. In 1999 the Macpherson report exposed Institutionalised racism in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). In 2004 Tim Rees, Cecile Wright and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) Scrutiny Panel have produced an authoritive report highlighting the continuing disproportionality of MPS stop and search practices targeted against the African British community.

National statistics released by the Home Office (2004) reveal that the African British community were eight times more likely to experience police stops and searches than the wider community. Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) data reveals the stop and search rates of African Britons in London increased by 30% between the years 2000/01 and 2001/02.

The terms of reference of the Scrutiny Panel was to focus on five particular aspects of stop and search. These were:

• To assess the impact of race
• To assess what use is made of stop and search data
• To identify the cost effectiveness of stop and search
• To review the assertion of disproportionality in criminality
• To identify good practice.

The Scrutiny Panel concluded that racial bias and stereotyping in individual police officers behaviour continues to be a significant determining factor in disproportionality. Institutional racism – as reflected in the policies, priorities and practices (or lack there of) of the Metropolitan Police Service – continue to be dominant factors in both permitting and causing disproportionality in stop and search rates. The irrefutable body of evidence on disproportional stop and search rates suggests that policing principles of justice, equality and fairness do not apply to all Londoners.

In response, the Scrutiny Panel have made over fifty key recommendations requiring recognition, ownership, commitment and a true desire to effect change of this problem from the MPS, the Home Office, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Secretary of State for Education and several other related bodies.

Ligali will be watching the implementation of recommendation 55 with interest

Rec 55: The MPS establish an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) on stop and search practice to oversee the implementation of these recommendations and to monitor and promote best practice on a pan-London basis.

Click here to read the report

Related
Metropolitan Police Authority
BBC News Online

17 May 2004
JAY ABATAN

In January 1999, 42 year old father of two, Jay Abatan, died five days after being attacked by a gang of European men outside the Ocean Rooms nightclub in Brighton. Jay was celebrating a job promotion to a Senior Tax Specialist at Price Waterhouse Coopers with his brother and a friend when he was punched and kicked to the ground. As a result, he suffered severe brain damage and was pronounced dead after five days on a life support machine.

Sussex police launched an investigation and within 24 hours, Graham Curtis and Peter Bell were arrested and charged with manslaughter. However, by the time of the trial in May 2000, the men were cleared after the charge was reduced to affray and actual bodily harm to Jay's brother, Michael.

A report documenting over fifty failings and inconsistencies in the original investigation into Jay's murder was completed in July 1999 after the investigation was the subject of an inquiry invoked by Jay’s family publicly voicing their concerns which included the Police’s failure to explore a racial motive for the attack. Sussex police refused to disclose the full report although extracts were leaked to the press.

In December 2000, Detective Superintendent, Ken Probert, announced that the murder was being treated as a 'racist killing' and Jay’s family, along with Sussex police, asked the Police Complaint’s Authority (PCA) to review the investigation to see whether there were grounds to discipline the original officers involved in the case.

Ken Jones from Avon and Somerset police was called in by the PCA to undertake this investigation. Five years later, Sussex police who have publicly apologised, are still refusing to release a full copy of the findings in the 300-page report by Avon and Somerset to Jay's family.

This month Peter Bottomley MP, Jay's family and lawyers were scheduled to meet representatives of the new Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to discuss the findings of an Avon and Somerset police investigation.

The IPCC has stated that Sussex police 'were not minded to hand it [the report] over' and that the IPCC had no powers to make them publish the report.

http://www.irr.org.uk/2004/april/ha000018.html

17 May 2004
The assault and attempted murder of Derek Senior

On Monday 17th May 2004, 50 year old Nottingham Youth worker Derek Senior was shot four times as he reversed his car out of his driveway. He currently remains in a stable condition in hospital. The shooting occurred on Harmston Rise in Basford days after four European British men were jailed for attacking him in a pub. Police are treating the shooting as an attempted murder and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. It is believed that Derek was shot as an act of retribution after testifying against four men who assaulted him. His brutal attackers were collectively sentenced to 20 years in prison for their part in the terrifying racial attack.

The original assault occurred after Mr Senior had been out for a drink with his old work colleague, social worker Ester Robinson. As they talked and played a game of pool, five drunken European men walked in. Robert Watson, one of the group, deliberately kicked Miss Robinson's bottom as he walked by. It was after Mr Senior asked him to apologise the four men savagely punched and repeatedly hit him with pool cues. They then dragged him by his dreadlocks out of the view of the CCTV camera. Joseph Graham, another member of the drunken gang told bar staff to keep quiet during the attack by putting his finger to his lips. They finally shouted racial abuse and ripped his dreadlock from his scalp as a trophy.

Police have said they are ‘massively outraged’ by the shooting and vowed to hunt down the gunman. Nottinghamshire's Assistant Chief Constable, Peter Ditchett, said: ‘I am going to hunt you down; we are going to find you, we are going to convict you and you can ponder your future in front of the prison bars’.

Derek is in hospital in a stable condition.

Related
Nottingham News

15 May 2004
Kebba Jobe

In a press release issued by the Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) it was stated that 42 year old Kebba ‘Dobbo’ Jobe became unconscious after an officer attempted to arrest him for drug related offences. On realizing that Kebba was unconscious, officers called paramedics who quickly arrived on the scene and tried to resuscitate him. Kebba was later pronounced dead after he was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. The doctors removed a plastic bag containing a herbal substance which was lodged in Mr Jobe’s air-ways. An opening inquest held at St. Pancras Coroner’s Court, stated the cause of death as an obstruction of the air-ways caused by an impacted foreign body.

However, witness accounts in the Camden New Journal suggest that obstruction of his air-ways may not have been the single factor in Kebba’s death.

"The policeman grabbed Dobbo [Kebba's middlename] and threw him to the floor. He could not move"

"It was obvious Dobbo was having difficulty breathing. We pleaded with the officer to get off him"

"It happened in slow motion. I stood there and asked the officer to calm down but he wasn't listening. I looked at him [Kebba] his eyes were glazed and my friend was dead"

Kebba is the cousin of Ibrahim Sey, who died on March 15th 1996 in police custody. Ibrahim was restrained by the Police who handcuffed him and sprayed CS spray in his face. The family of Mr Jobe are being supported by the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC) and INQUEST.

Related
NCADC News Story

7 May 2004
Vigil for Brian Douglas

A Vigil was organised for Brian Douglas who died nine years ago after a routine ‘stop and search’ by police officers from Kennington Police Station. He subsequently received fatal head injuries that later resulted in his death in hospital. The officers involved have not been disciplined or charged.

The vigil was organised by the Justice for Brian Douglas Campaign and is supported by the United Families and Friends Campaign, a coalition of families and friends of those who have died in custody.

http://inquest.gn.apc.org/briefings/bdouglas.html

6 May 2004
CPS rule out further charges in the Stephen Lawrence case

After 11 years, justice still remains to be seen in the case of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in a racially motivated murder in Eltham, South-East London.

Despite Met Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens stating that he knew who killed Stephen and evidence revealing two of the main suspects bragging about their involvement in the attack, the Crown Prosecution Service has sated that there is still not enough evidence to bring fresh charges over Stephen’s murder. Their decision follows a 5-year long investigation. The Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner, Sir Ian Blair has said that this judgment means they will now stop actively pursuing the case.

Related:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/stephen_lawrence/285357.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1210415,00.html

6 May 2004
New Cross Fire

In January 1981, the New Cross fire claimed the lives of 13 African British youths aged between 14 and 22 after flames engulfed a birthday party in South-East London. The original inquests returned open verdicts but after the police began a new investigation in 1997 a new inquest was ordered in 2002. Tragically the families and our community were again let down by the criminal ‘justice system’ when earlier this month Gerald Butler QC, recorded open verdicts at Southwark Crown Court.

‘I have concluded on the totality of the evidence that while I think it probable, that is to say more likely than not, that this fire was begun by deliberate application of a flame to the armchair near to the television...I cannot be sure of this… It must follow I am unable to return a verdict of unlawful killing’.

Commander Steve Allen, Head of the Metropolitan Police's Racial and Violent Crime taskforce which carried out the investigation, said the inquiry would never be regarded as ‘closed’.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3513126.stm

15 April 2004
Rough Justice, No Justice, Injustice

CCTV footage of Christopher Alder’s last moments has been screened in the BBC documentary Rough Justice (14 April, 2004). The 37 year old father-of-two had been arrested in hospital, where he was being treated for a banged head following a scuffle outside a hotel.

The decision to release the video was made by Mr Alder's sister Janet, of Burnley, Lancashire, in an attempt to win a public inquiry into her brother's death and question why the officers involved have never been cross-examined. An inquest concluded Mr Alder was unlawfully killed. Yet Sgt John Dunn, 40, and Pcs Neil Blakey, 42, Mark Ellerington, 37, Nigel Dawson, 41, and Matthew Barr, 38, of Humberside Police, were cleared of manslaughter and misconduct after a judge directed a jury to find them all not guilty.

The Home Secretary's decision not to hold a Public Inquiry into the circumstances leading to the tragic death of Christopher Alder is sadly predictable. Mr Blunkett said "We deeply regret the terrible distress that has clearly been caused to the family and understand perfectly well the reaction of viewers seeing these distressing scenes… It is, however, six years, a trial and two inquiries later that we are having to assess whether there is any beneficial purpose in reopening the case.. Public inquiries in such circumstances cannot be triggered by TV footage of material which was already known during the judicial and inquiry investigations.. However, I am asking the new Independent Police Complaints Commission to have another look at this and to report back."

She said she was "disappointed, but not surprised" at the Home Secretary's decision to order a review but not a public inquiry.

Ligali is sincerely hoping that the IPCC ‘review’ is both authoritive and substantial. We are also supporting a new campaign that has been setup to petition the Home Office for a public enquiry. Click here to read more about the case.

Click here for support the Justice 4 Chris campaign

Related links:

Q+A on custody deaths

Inquest

United Family and Friends Campaigns

26 February 2004
Good Progress on Gun Crime

Ligali attended the MPS Gun –Enabled Crime: Knowledge and Solutions Forum presented by Cressida Dick, John Coles and Phillip Manns.

Gun Crime Facts: During 2003 there were 15 murders, 45 attempted murders & 124 other shootings

Click here for more facts and stats

The MPA scrutiny into gun crime made several key recommendations to improve Met response to gun crime in the capital.

Click here to read the MPA Scrutiny report.

Additional Ligali Recommendations:

Related:
www.mpa.gov.uk

Not content with the exposure gained by the BBC Secret Police documentary, Greater Manchester Police have proved the benefits to be gained by carrying a camera at all times. The vicious attack on Delbo King by a police officer was caught on CCTV. The case has yet to be concluded but it does raise several very pertinent questions about police conduct when the cameras are not around.

Click here to view footage (Click here to download required Real media player)

Related:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3506409.stm

In a recent Ligali organised event leading Human Rights Barrister, Matthew Ryder, presented a superb and eagerly awaited empowerment workshop at Hackney Community College. He facilitated Stop and Search demonstrations and answered questions on real life scenarios as he faced over 50 young people from Hackney, all with an insatiable desire to know their ‘stop and search’ rights.

Click here to see flyer

Ligali has serious concerns about current Police tactics involving the maintenance of ‘a distinctive image database’ of innocent bystanders on occasions when such people are outside the remit of being involved in a criminal offence. Chief Inspector Don Smith has issued a letter outlining the police rationale behind the usage of overt spying on innocent bystanders. We will be responding in due course.

Click here to read Chief Inspector Don Smiths reply to our concerns.

4 February 2004
Implement 61

A recent initiative carried out by The Crib, CityZEN, Youth Parliament and Ligali in which 45 young people were involved with helping train 30 new recruits on stop and search had very positive results and was deemed a success by those who took part. Hosted by Keji Okeowo of CityZEN and Wayne from Youth Parliament, the young people aged between 14 – 24 acted out potentially hostile stop and search encounters whilst Police recruits were invited to respond as they felt suitable. Tempers flared, honest and positive debates about aspirations and respect enthused, and most who took part agreed this was an exercise all officers should engage in prior to active street duty.

Click here to read the Implement 61 Programme Brief

26 January 2004
Stops, Searches and Recommendation 61

The Police Federation of England and Wales has serious concerns that the methodology used to record police use of the stop and search power is unreliable, often resulting in misleading, inaccurate and sometimes malicious observations and assessments being made, accusing police of bias and disproportionality.

Source: http://www.polfed.org/wherewes/stopandsearch.htm

Ligali has been monitoring Stop and Search using a system based on Rec 61’s extended methods of recording stops since its April 2003 implementation in Hackney. In Hackney there are approximately 900 stop and searches per month with peaks coinciding with street crime initiatives like Operation Amanzi (Safer Streets 3). The stop/arrest ratio highlights a growing area of concern with the typical ‘hit rate’ of 8:1 frequently rising. Ligali commends the organisations and Officers in Hackney who have been proactive in working with young people to improve stop and search encounters. One such initiative was the recent Implement 61:Street Duty training carried out by The Crib, CityZEN, Youth Parliament, and Ligali in which 45 young people were involved with helping train 30 new recruits in addressing many of the issues surrounding stop and search/ recommendation 61 in Hackney.

As a result of this work and research, Ligali has produced a list of recommendations & guidelines for the MET/MPA to implement.

What is recommendation 61
Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, called for the police to record all stops as well as searches. In his report into the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, Sir William Macpherson said the use of stop and search had created significant distrust of police among ethnic minority communities. Stop and search powers, he said, had been used disproportionately against ethnic minorities and that discrimination was a likely factor in this.

Official definition of a stop
A police stop is defined by the Home Office as “when an officer request a person in a public place to account for themselves i.e. their actions, behaviour, presence in an area or possession of anything, a record of the encounter must be completed at the time and a copy given to the person who has been questioned, this is unless there are exceptional circumstances … a record of an encounter must always be made when a person requests it, regardless of whether the officer considers that the criteria set out has been met."

Implementation of Recommendation 61 in London begun in the borough of Hackney on 1 April 2003 using a paper-based recording method. It’s phased implementation is intended to enable the Home Office and police identify the most effective approaches to recording stops and ways of working that will cause the least inconvenience to the public, develop practices that will encourage public trust and confidence and are not time consuming for both the police and individuals concerned.

Click image to enlarge

For more info click here for the MPA website

Click here to listen to the heated debate on stop and search

Macpherson Report - Stop and Search recommendations

57. That the Police Services should through the implementation of a Code of Conduct or otherwise ensure that racist words or acts proved to have been spoken or done by police officers should lead to disciplinary proceedings, and that it should be understood that such conduct should usually merit dismissal.

60. That the powers of the police under current legislation are required for the prevention and detection of crime and should remain unchanged.

61. That the Home Secretary, in consultation with Police Services, should ensure that a record is made by police officers of all "stops" and "stops and searches" made under any legislative provision (not just the Police and Criminal Evidence Act). Non-statutory or so called "voluntary" stops must also be recorded. The record to include the reason for the stop, the outcome, and the self-defined ethnic identity of the person stopped. A copy of the record shall be given to the person stopped.

62. That these records should be monitored and analysed by Police Services and Police Authorities, and reviewed by HMIC on inspections. The information and analysis should be published.

63. That Police Authorities be given the duty to undertake publicity campaigns to ensure that the public is aware of "stop and search" provisions and the right to receive a record in all circumstances.

Click here to read Ligali’s interim report on Hackney’s implementation of Rec 61
Click here to view the 2000 – 1 Pan London figures on Stop and Search by ethnicity
Click here to view the 2001 – 2 Pan London figures on Stop and Search by ethnicity
Click here to view the 2002 – 3 Pan London figures on Stop and Search by ethnicity
Click here to view the 2003 – 4 Pan London figures on Stop and Search by ethnicity
Click here to view the MET Stop/Search Form 5090 Text
Click here to read Macpherson recommendations

Serious concerns have been raised regarding recent reports that the Metropolitan Police have been overtly video taping innocent bystanders and participants in routine stop and search encounters.

According to the police, this 'new strategy' has been implemented across London for some time. We will be seeking advice on whether this activity is indeed legal and whether we have a right to decline to be filmed and to know how and where this footage will be used. The police appear relatively unconcerned by the fact that this type of monitoring activity does much to increase the climate of distrust between the police and the African British community. In fact, one officer recently stated that 'if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about'.

Ligali asks if there is 'nothing to worry about' why have the police have not released any information about this 'overt' practice? We will endeavour to maintain pressure on the police to give us a full explanation of why we are being filmed. Ultimately, we hope that this practice will be stopped immediately.

In conclusion to one half of the Shell incident the cashier told the Police that he doesn’t even know what the N-Word means, he had never heard it before. This is the man who asked whether if I spoke English!

Click here to read Police summary of racial incident.

Ligali Recommendation:
When a race related complaint is being investigated it is important that officers ensure they record the details of the complainant accurately.

Note: My name is not Mr Tiago Agbeftu.

Ligali attended the DISARM funding seminar chaired by Rev Nimms, Lee Jasper and Cindy Butts. The Disarm charity has a modest total of £300,000 available to support organisations and individuals actively engaged in reducing gun crime. The seminar gave information and provided an opportunity for attendees to access the funding.

Click here to print the funding application form.

Average application response turnaround is between 3 weeks to a month

Applicants should ideally:

• Attempt to seek/ explore opportunity for match funding.
• Have formed partnerships with another organisations to deliver initiatives
• Set out a 5 year programme with a provision for a 3 year review.

Ligali Comment:

DIASRM members must explain to Home Secretary at the forthcoming DIASRM/ Home office meeting (25th Nov 2003) that there will be a lack of buy in from crucial grass roots organisations without written sustained annual financial commitment. A simple and definitive yes/no response by December 2003 deadline is essential. Lee Jasper's proposed model of a 5 year plan, 3 year evaluation is an ideal starting point.

Recommendations:

• The requirement of complex measuring outputs must not hinder innovation by deterring grass root organisations through bureaucracy. Support/ assistance on measuring output should be provided by DIASRM if required

• Transparency/ best practice information should be distributed via a quarterly DIASRM newsletter

• Home Office/ Government Minister must commit to publicly backing/ highlighting DIASRM ‘members’ concerns in support of overall initiative.

£1.5 million has been allocated to anti-gun crime initiatives. £1.2 million of this is being disbursed by eight of the regional government offices to projects that will help local communities in the most affected areas in tackling gun crime and ‘gun culture’. The money has now been allocated and is not open to bids. £300,000 is being used to support the DIASRM Trust, and it is open to projects working to tackle gun crime in local communities to seek support or funding from the Trust.

Click here to read Disarm Themes

Source: UK Parliament

11 November 2003
Prison population by Ethnic Group and Nationality

On 30th June 2002, 16,170 people in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales were from ethnic minority groups. This was an increase of 15 per cent (or 2,120) from the 14,050 held in June 2001. Over the same period, the prison population as a whole increased by 7 per cent.

The population of ‘Chinese and other’ prisoners has increased the most since 1992 (up 183 per cent), whereas White and South Asian prisoners have increased the least (46 and 58 per cent respectively).

The increase in the ethnic minority population is linked to the increase in the population of foreign
nationals; a considerable proportion (35 per cent) of prisoners belonging to an ethnic minority group are foreign nationals.

Ethnic minority groups made up 22 per cent of the male prison population and 29 per cent of the
female prison population at the end of June 2002. This is a small increase compared to 2001 when
ethnic minority groups made up 21 per cent of the male population and 26 per cent of the female
prison population.

Among sentenced males, a higher proportion of White prisoners were in prison for violent or sexual
offences (34 per cent) or for burglary (19 per cent) than were Black prisoners (24 per cent and 9 percent respectively). Black male prisoners were more likely than White males to be held for robbery (21 per cent among Black prisoners, 12 per cent among White prisoners) and for drugs offences (33 per cent among Black prisoners, 13 per cent among White prisoners).

Among sentenced adults, 51 per cent of the White population were serving sentences of 4 years or
more. The equivalent figures among sentenced adults from other ethnic groups were 65 per cent of
the Black population, 58 per cent of the South Asian population and 60 per cent from ‘Chinese and
other’ ethnic groups.

Source: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html

Read this fascinating investigation of a racial complaint.

For historical context please read the story published here.

Click here to read Inside Shell

10 November 2003
Hot Seat Debut on Gun Crime

ACTV’s Paige Deleon hosted the debut current affairs programme ‘Hot Seat’. The topic for debate was ‘Increasing Gun Crime in the UK’. The debate addressed the cause, the issues and the solutions.

Special guests on the panel for this show included:

Rev Nimms, Haringey Peace Alliance
Michael Eboda, New Nation
Courtney Griffiths Q.C.
Toyin Agbetu, Ligali

Click here to read statistics on Gun crime trends 2003

27 October 2003
Revival – Stop the killing, Start the healing

Ligali and Sankofa were at the excellent Revival event hosted by the Young Black Positive Advocates (YBPA) at the Ocean, Hackney.

Click here for more details.

Ligali / YBPA Recommendations

1. The YBPA agreed with our request for record labels to support content labelling and will write a letter in support to our action.

2. The Princes Trust also made a great commitment stating they would fund a YBPA record label that produced records promoting positivity.

3. The YPBA suggested that the Police involved young people in training the Police on how to conduct Stop and Search. Ligali supports this proposal and following comments made at our Nandos Youth Talk on Crime in August, suggested to Assistant Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe (Human Resources for the Metropolitan Police) that the young people who take part in this initiative must be financially remuerated for their time. It was also stated that it may be necessary to recruit young trainers from a list of proactive youth organisations such as the YBPA.

4. With regards to gun crime education we both proposed that young people as a crucial education delivery mechanism.

Click here to read feedback from the initiative.

Metropolitan Specialist Crime Head, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, replied to our letter, which amongst several things, requested that Operation Trident be restructured as a multicultural taskforce that does not exclusively focus on and stigmatise the African British community with offensive terminology such as ‘black on black’ and ‘yardies’.

Ligali will be responding soon.

Click here to read Tarique Ghaffur’s response

25 September 2003
Hackney Leads The Way...

This week Julie Sinclair writing for the Hackney Gazette broke the news that Hackney's Operation Bantam will no longer focus on 'black-on-black' gun crime. After a successful raid which seized an Uzi machine gun and sawn-off shotgun amongst others, the unit is about to double in size and now cover all firearm incidents in the borough. Detective Inspector Gary Bruce who is head of Operation Bantam said "This does not reflect an increase in gun crime".

20 September 2003
Time for Change

The front page story of the Guardian this weekend read ‘Met to expand gun crime taskforce after girl’s killing’. No Doubt myself and other African Britons felt a shudder of fear at the thought of being the victims of even more PBS (policing by stereotype).

On reading the article, however, what emerged was a faint glimmer of hope that Trident might actually implement practical and effective solutions. There was talk of the expanding the Trident remit to focus on gun crime and violence in other ethnic communities, improvements to the witness protection programme and more focus directed towards gun and drug related crime, rather than so-called ‘black on black' crime.

Another article in the same newspaper, ‘Police to build on success in black on black crime initiative’ featured several quotes from Diane Abbott MP, Chair of the Hackney Independent Trident Advisory Group. Despite her comments, the reality is that she has not attended any of the HITG meetings since Ligali became an independent and critical member of the group. Nor was she at the recent Nando’s initiative were 30 young people put forward their views and suggestions about policing in their community and Operation Trident.

Unpublished Internal Trident Analysis - 2002

Co-incidentally, on the same day that this edition of the Guardian was published, we received a response to our letter to Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who made several commitments about reforming the police and Operation Trident. Ironically, our letter requested an update on the very issues that were addressed by Operation Trident in the Guardian article.

Ligali Letter (2 September 2003)

Tarique Ghaffur Response (18 September 2003)

As if the coincidence of these events all occurring on the same day was not enough, later that afternoon, we received an email from 'community leader’ Lee Jasper.

Lee Jasper Query response (20 Sptember 2003)

So, where now for all those involved in communicating or dealing with crime?

Media

The Guardian article was littered with phrases such as ‘black on black’ and ‘Jamaican Yardie gangsters’. It seems that until one of the broadsheet newspapers can get to grips with the basics of understanding our community, refrain from demonisation and exaggeration in their reporting and employ some genuine integrity and broad-mindedness, prospects remain dim for mass selling rags such as the Daily Mail and the Sun raising their reporting standards from the gutter.

We would also question why there is never any sustained media coverage when the victim of crime in our community is an African British male? Why do we rarely get to hear about such incidents in the mainstream news? The answer is that ever prevalent phenomena; ‘the invisible victims’.

Police

As a community, we are more than used to hollow rhetoric from the usual suspects. We will certainly be monitoring the progress of the police and law enforcement organisations in following up their many words with just as much positive action. We have come to expect the usual banter and debate whenever there is media attention on a gun crime incident, while things tend to get suspiciously quiet when media focus is absent.

We wait to see if Trident will increase its remit to operate nationally, as a multicultural task force, with less emphasis on one specific community and remove the word ‘black’ from its website, which gives the media a license to target and demonise African British communities.

Education

African History remains absent from the National Curriculum giving rise to the issue of Culturally Disinherited Syndrome (CDS) which, in reality means that some of our young people – the future of our community – are rejecting their African identity. It is also important that parents, academic institutions and indeed young people understand that while academic achievement is important, the understanding and awareness of African history integral to their emotional and social well-being.

The ignorant comments of racists such as Richard Littlejohn, who is clearly as uneducated about African History as he is about integrity and factual journalism, openly denigrate African achievement and subsequent contributions to a society which refuses to allow African British children to take pride in their history and cultures. The result is the permeation of cultural disinheritance and cultural and social exclusion.

Community

Our community are constantly demonised to excess by everyone from the media to the police. As such, we have had to expend much energy defending ourselves from a disproportionate amount of criticism, misinterpretations and in some cases, out right abuse. The effect of this is that we are less inclined to look introspectively at what we can do as a community. We underestimate our own power and influence over our children, fellow African Britons and the wider British community. Putting aside redundant and inappropriate buzz words such as ‘wall of silence’ and solutions like ‘beating our children should fix things’, we need to unite behind common objectives and forcefully push them forward. The key to our progression is the reclaiming of our identity and education about our African heritage and cultures.

Next month is African History month and while the liberal majority will insist that it is ‘black’ history month, we must take this opportunity to renew our interest in culture and fellow Africans in the Diaspora and on the Continent. We may be a minority in Britain but this is no reason for our identity to be sacrificed and undermined. We need to engage in active self determination; we are no more ‘black’ than we are ‘negro’ (which, incidentally have the same meaning). African is our name and society will just have to get used to it, because compromise is what destroys our identity and our children and we must show that we are no longer prepared to be labelled with an imposed identity.

Similarly, we must refrain from supporting the media institutions that are programming our children with negative images and values that embrace sexism, devalue African identity and the endorse of criminal and materialistic lifestyles. The need to challenge the media and other institutions who fail to recognise our national and international contributions and continue to degrade African people, is becoming evermore urgent. But as well as destroying the negative influences, we