Yesterday, we published our report into activism and impartiality in policing, which finds that in order to maintain police impartiality, greater clarity on the definition of operational independence is needed.
The British model of policing is precious. It is one of the best in the world and it has stood the test of time. Policing is done by the people, for the people, but recent concerns, such as accusations of biased policing, have put the public's trust to the test.
An essential part of the way that the police maintain public support is by acting with impartiality. The police are not there to take sides. Instead, they must demonstrate impartial service to the law, acting without bias and upholding everyone’s rights.
Our independent inspection, commissioned in 2023 by the then Home Secretary, involved extensive work across 12 forces and 91 focus groups, 187 interviews conducted, and the analysis of over 600 police social media accounts and 4,000 documents.
We considered whether politics or activism unduly influence police impartiality, examining vital areas such as compliance with the Equality Act, recording of non-crime hate incidents, and communications with the public.
Officers and staff are working hard to do the best job they can in often difficult situations.
But an absence of the definition of operational independence can prove challenging for police chiefs, as any form of improper political interference can affect the public’s perception of police impartiality.
We also found that:
-There is a near-total absence of any definition, guidance or judicial consideration of impartiality as it relates to policing. There needs to be more clearly defined guidance on what precisely the impartiality duty means and what it does and doesn’t cover.
-Legal application of the Equality Act 2010 is now too complicated. Forces urgently need a better and more consistent understanding of how the 2010 Act applies to modern and increasingly complex policing contexts.
Our report includes 22 recommendations to strengthen police impartiality and, crucially, to ensure the public perceives the police as impartial. These findings are relevant to all levels of policing—from PCSOs to Chief Constables, PCCs, and policymakers. Crucially, if acted on appropriately, these recommendations will help restore and maintain trust in the integrity of our police service.
We have published a new inspection report into impartiality and activism in policing.
We found that greater clarity on the definition of operational independence is needed to help maintain police impartiality.
Executive Officer Labour Relations Ontario Provincial Police Association
4moWith small town/community policing it is not only the lack of back up but the constant stress and hyper vigilance of always being on duty. That stress is widely accepted by being constantly monitored and viewed and never having the ability to be “off duty”