Institutional Racism and the Police Service

Abstract

The following was submitted to the “Inquiry into the Matters Arising from the Death of Stephen Lawrence” (the ‘Macpherson Inquiry’). The Inquiry, which was established by the Home Secretary, began holding public hearings in London in March 1998. The first and main section was submitted in April 1998, and raised questions about the conception of ‘racism’ that would be most appropriate to the Inquiry's work. The second supplementary paper was written in September 1998 for a meeting with senior police managers, and aimed to provide further clarification of the concept of “institutional racism”, particularly as it applied to the police service in the context of police-minority relations. It was submitted to the Macpherson Inquiry subsequently. Both parts were stated to have assisted the Inquiry in developing its understanding of racism, and are quoted from extensively in chapter 6 of the Report.