Our Race Action Plan

This workstream aims to ensure that Black people and communities are properly represented within policing with an internal culture that promotes inclusivity and supports their development and progression.

• A review of recruitment and promotion processes is taking place to review, looking at data to explore where disparities occur and inputting ‘Positive Action’ support and training interventions.
• Thanks to investment from our Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Emily Spurrell, the force is working with local training provider, the ‘Anthony Walker Foundation (AWF) to deliver Anti-racism training forcewide. The training has been designed to ensure all officers and staff can have a better understanding of the origins of racism, the impact of systemic racism in UK society and how this effects the relationship between the Black community and policing. The first sessions started at the end of April 2023 and are continuing to be rolled out.
• Chief Constable Serena Kennedy has held three ‘Listening in Action’ sessions with officers and staff so far, which provide an opportunity for people to talk about how they believe the organisation can become more inclusive, whilst identifying outdated practices.
• Implemented a new force ‘Outreach Team’ that works in the heart of our most diverse communities to build relationships and trust and encourage Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority people to work with us and join Merseyside Police.

This workstream aims to ensure Black people and communities are respected and treated in a fair and equitable way.

• The force has conducted research to better understand use of more thorough searching by our officers. The use of body-worn footage is subject to a quality assurance process, to ensure it is used in the correct manner. Additional training has been given to officers and we have also invested further in our Safer Schools officers who work with our schools to safeguard children and young people.
• We regularly work with the Merseyside Independent Advisory Group (MIAG) to review our use of Stop and Search. The MIAG is a diverse group of people and acts as a critical friend to the force, ensuring we police with legitimacy and professionalism and we have dialogue and engagement with our communities. We have also further developed our Public Scrutiny Panels to include use of force and to review police complaints and we are proud to be one of the leading forces in embracing this type of open feedback from our communities. Body Worn video of the encounters is shared within the review, any learning for the force or individual officers is fed back into the force to support us in improving public trust and confidence.
• The force has developed its mobile devices to enable the recording of email addresses of the person being stop-searched should they wish to volunteer them. This means officers can send a notification to the person instantly and directly. The receipt contains key links to support services, knowing your rights, providing community intelligence and how to complain. The notification also allows a person subject to a Stop and Search to complete a questionnaire, another avenue for providing feedback.

This workstream aims to ensure black people and communities are routinely involved in the governance of policing.

• In conjunction with local partners, the force’s Community Engagement Team is developing a career mentoring programme aimed at young people from our diverse communities, assisting and encouraging them in their future job aspirations. The programme will be used to break down misconceptions and myths that young people might have about working for the police as well as improving their skills and experience needed to apply to the force in the future.
• Another youth confidence project also in the early stages of development, aims to help improve trust and confidence in the police, inviting young people into the force to hear their feedback on key policing issues such as Stop Search powers.
• The force is in consultation with ‘Leaders Unlocked’, an organisation that enables young people and underrepresented groups to have a stronger voice on the issues affecting their lives, to include our existing Youth Independent Advisory Group and to develop a Youth Commission. The Youth Commission on Police and Crime will provide a platform for young people to influence the future of policing and crime prevention in their local areas. Leaders unlocked have begun their stakeholder mapping exercise and are in the process of contacting local schools, colleges, youth organisations, charities and local authorities to market the project and recruit members.
• Community Engagement Unit officers have developed a key stage 2 preventative pilot, “Hate makes me feel”, in partnership with Powerful Beyond All Measure (PBAM), a non-for-profit organisation that aims to improve confidence for victims and raise awareness of the support available based in the North of Liverpool. Merseyside Police and PBAM have worked to strengthen relationships between the community and the police addressing reasons why Hate Crime isn’t reported; building trust with the police to strengthen communities and enhance feelings of safety and belonging. 
• A separate scheme has been developed to improve trust and confidence with young members of the Somali community. The project aims to improve engagement with the Somali community and enable the platform to listen to their concerns, issues and needs in a safe space and an environment to learn from each other. A survey has been planned for the beginning and end of the programme, to track any changes in mindsets of confidence in police, which will also include any career considerations. 

This workstream aims to ensure Black people are not ‘under-protected’ and are properly supported as victims of crime and as vulnerable groups.

• We are putting dedicated Hate Crime Teams in each Local Policing area which will consist of dedicated, specialised Hate Crime Co-ordinators, who will ensure a consistent and professional police response through the gathering of intelligence, improving understanding and testing new of investigative methods.

• We are developing a new force Hate Crime action plan, which will include bespoke objectives for Black victims, and it is hoped this will increase reporting, improve support and build understanding to be able to better challenge beliefs and attitudes.
• Liaison has taken place with Investigation and local and regional Cyber teams to understand how the force delivers prevention and protection of people who are subjected to online abuse. This will include benchmarking of how we can improve and deliver a bespoke service for Black victims.
• Exploratory work is being undertaken to map out the support services currently on offer for Black victims of exploitation. The force Prevention team are also being involved in this project that will help to build an action plan that will help protect them from becoming offenders.