Black children in England and Wales four times more likely to be strip-searched, figures show
GuardianAug 26
The Facts
Two London Metropolitan Police officers were fired on Wednesday after a disciplinary panel found them guilty of gross misconduct over the stop and search of two Black athletes.
In July 2020, a group of police officers allegedly followed professional sprinters Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos' car and pulled it over outside their home.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The officers' conduct didn't warrant disciplinary action as they were doing their duty — pulling over a car they believed to be driving recklessly and in a suspicious manner. The police were patrolling the area because of a surge in violence during Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd in the US. Allegations that the officers were racist for following procedure are unsubstantiated.
Establishment-critical narrative
Government figures show that policing in London is institutionally racist, since Black individuals are four times as likely to be stopped than White people. The fact that the officers treated these Black athletes less favorably because of their race reflects the experiences of many Black people across the country. UK police must amend their stop and search policies in order to regain public trust and turn the tide on systemic discrimination.