Black people in Merseyside twice as likely to be arrested - report

A scrutiny meeting heard the figure had reduced from 2.7 times more likely in 2019

Black people in Merseyside are twice as likely to face arrest than white people, a police report has revealed.

A scrutiny meeting heard that black people across the region were 2.3 times more likely to be detained, which represented a downturn since 2019.

It comes after Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell agreed Merseyside Police was institutionally racist.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said a race action plan was being actioned.

The meeting heard the figure had reduced from 2.7 times more likely three years ago, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Merseyside Police's head of performance and analytics, Louise Kane, said that while this was a "disproportionate to the force average" the "direction of travel is definitely a positive one" given where the force was in 2019.

Ms Kennedy has "categorically" denied the force is institutionally racist following claims by Ms Spurrell in May.

PCC Emily Spurrell says she expects the force's figures to be a "similar picture nationally"

Ms Spurrell had taken part in an interview with Policing TV reporter Danny Shaw, who asked her: 'Do you accept that Merseyside Police is institutionally racist?'.

In response, Ms Spurrell said the vast majority of officers "are incredibly dedicated" and "not racist" but, as an institution, the force had "been designed by a certain group of people and it does not take into account how black and ethnic minority people might experience things and how they might get treated".

Ms Kennedy addressed the panel at Wallasey Town Hall to explain how four superintendents on the force were working through the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) race action plan.

'Clear action plan'

It includes the introduction of mandatory training for all police officers and staff about racism, anti-racism, black history and its connection to policing.

Forces are also called on to adopt a new explain or reform approach to race disparities and develop a new approach to tackle issues in the use of police powers.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy says a lot of work is being done to tackle discrimination

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Spurrell said she expected the force's figures to be a "similar picture nationally".

"I think that's why the NPCC have put the race action plan together as they recognise these disparities do exist," Ms Spurrell added.

She said she thought the chief constable "had got quite a clear action plan" on how to reduce disproportionalities.

Ms Spurrell said: "It is there, it's in the public domain, we know it is a problem and they are going to pull the action plan in terms of how we are going to tackle it and that is probably the key starting point."

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