CRE to launch police racism review

Friday, 31 October 2003 12:00 AM

The Commission for Racial Equality is to launch a formal investigation into the extent of racial intolerance in the police forces of England and Wales.

Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, demanded an external independent body to scrutinise each of the 43 forces in England and Wales.

The new investigation comes four years after the publication of the Macpherson report.

The CRE will assess whether or not the police remains "institutionally racist."

Speaking to an audience of black police officers, Mr Phillips said more must be done to eradicate the "tacit acceptance of racism."

"We mean to stop this once and for all," he said.

Mr Phillips said revelations in last week's The Secret Policeman documentary, at the police training college in Cheshire, had prompted the review.

Mr Phillips said public confidence had been "severely shaken" because of the BBC expose on police racism.

The inquiry is set to review police recruitment and racism in training schools for cadets.

Mr Phillips said parts of the inquiry would be held in public and predicted initial recommendations would be published by next spring 2004.

The announcement came after villagers in Firle, East Sussex, yesterday burnt a caravan with effigies of gypsies inside.

The bonfire was apparently part of Guy Fawkes celebrations.

Mr Phillips said those involved should be punished.

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