Tackling racism in the police
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 28 January 2014 (4th Sitting) (see Doc. 13384, report of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination,
rapporteur: Mr David Davies). Text adopted
by the Assembly on 28 January 2014 (4th Sitting).
1. Racism does not spare any level
of society and no institution appears immune to racism. The police
is no exception. Racism can be present in the attitudes or behaviour
of police officers, in their interaction with the population or
with other officers. It can also be found in rules and regulations
applied by the police, which would in that case qualify as institutional
racism.
2. The Parliamentary Assembly is particularly concerned about
racial profiling. This is the use by the police, with no objective
and reasonable justification, of grounds such as race, colour, language,
religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin for control,
surveillance or investigation activities. Racist behaviour and practices within
the police against visible minorities have a negative impact on
public opinion and can increase stereotyping and prejudice.
3. Considering that the acknowledgement of the existence of a
problem is the first step towards its solution, the Assembly encourages
all member States to look at the situation in their respective countries
and have the courage to acknowledge and address, when relevant,
the existence of racism in the police. There can be no impunity
for manifestations of racism within or by the police and police
officers must be held accountable individually for their behaviour.
4. Few Council of Europe member States have established independent
police complaints mechanisms. Effective and independent investigations
of racist crimes should be conducted and treated as a priority in
order to maintain trust in the police and to encourage reporting
of such crimes.
5. The Assembly is convinced that concrete change will not happen
if there is no change in mindset and that political will can change
cultural attitudes within the police. In addition, diversity training
and lifelong learning contribute to ensuring that the police reflects
and understands the population it serves. The Assembly acknowledges
the difficulties and challenges faced by police officers in their
daily work. They represent a link between the law and the population,
which should have a high level of trust in them and never hesitate
to report violence, including racist violence.
6. The Assembly recalls Committee of Ministers Recommendation
Rec(2001)10 on a European code of police ethics and encourages the
wide application of its principles. It also recalls the work of
the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and
its General Policy Recommendation No. 11 on combating racism and
racial discrimination in policing, which provides guidelines on
ways to prevent racial discrimination and prohibit racial profiling.
7. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
Council of Europe member States to:
7.1 with regard to preventing racism in the police:
7.1.1 review existing legislation and practices of the police
with a view to identifying and modifying those that might have a
racist connotation;
7.1.2 ask police forces which have not yet done so to adopt
an internal code of conduct with regard to the prevention of racism;
7.1.3 encourage diversity in police recruitment, including targets
also for senior ranks;
7.1.4 provide training following recruitment and throughout
each individual’s career on preventing and combating racism and
racial discrimination, in addition to diversity training;
7.1.5 provide, when possible and relevant, language training
classes to police officers to allow them to interact and exchange
with the population they serve;
7.1.6 carry out research and collect information on racist incidents
in the police, including the police reaction to acts of racism by
police officers so as to monitor the situation and ensure an appropriate
institutional response;
7.1.7 provide the police with sufficient resources to work in
satisfactory conditions; take specific measures to ensure that police
officers have absolute respect for the rights of the persons they
deal with;
7.1.8 encourage the exchange of good practices between police
forces in preventing racism;
7.2 with regard to condemning racism and prosecuting racist
behaviour or incidents in the police:
7.2.1 urge political
leaders and senior officers of the police forces to publicly condemn
any form of racial discrimination;
7.2.2 establish independent police complaints mechanisms where
they do not yet exist, allocate appropriate means for their functioning
and ensure that sanctions are imposed on police officers following
a racist incident;
7.2.3 investigate in a prompt, thorough, effective and impartial
manner all allegations of racial discrimination, including by the
police;
7.2.4 ask police officers to adopt a public profile and attitude,
including on social networks, corresponding to the fundamental values
of the police;
7.3 with regard to enhancing trust in the police:
7.3.1 implement the provisions of ECRI General Policy Recommendation
No. 11 on combating racism and racial discrimination in policing;
7.3.2 clearly define racial profiling, ensure its prohibition
and provide specific training on identity checks to all police officers;
7.3.3 ensure that police officers wear a visible form of identification,
such as identity numbers, at all times;
7.3.4 establish the practice of filling out stop forms following
identity checks and searches, where it does not yet exist;
7.3.5 monitor identity checks and search operations;
7.3.6 encourage the establishment of police community liaison
officers, where they do not yet exist;
7.3.7 encourage members of parliament and the police to enhance
their interaction through regular consultations, including through
appropriate parliamentary mechanisms.
8. The Assembly calls on civil society representatives to strengthen
their dialogue with the police through regular consultations and
other appropriate means.