Black people die disproportionately after contact with police, new figures show

Police chiefs and government ‘continue to deny problem of structural racism’, charity warns

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Black people are more likely to die following contact with the police than their white counterparts, new data from a police watchdog suggests.

Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said 10 per cent of people who died during or following contact with the police across the UK during 2020/21 were Black which is is over three times their population in the UK (3 per cent).

Of 92 deaths following police contact that were investigated by the IOPC last year, 10 were those of Black people. Six of the ten Black people were of Caribbean heritage, one was from an African background, one was classed as ‘Black other’ and the other unknown.

Some seven per cent of those who died under this category were of Asian heritage while people within this ethnic group account for that much of the UK population (7 per cent).

The most deaths under this category occurred across the Metropolitan Police force, followed by West Midlands Police force and then Greater Manchester Police force.

Deborah Coles, director of the state-related deaths charity Inquest said, despite racial disparities in policing outcomes as evidenced in this watchdog’s report, forces “continue to deny the problem of structural racism”.

“Last year the world responded to the death of George Floyd and mobilised against deaths in police custody and racial injustice,” she told The Independent.

“The disproportionate number of Black and racialised people who die after the use of lethal force and neglect by the state is at the sharp end of a continuum of over policing, criminalisation, violence and racism.

“Rather than confront the reality of what this systemic pattern of deaths means both Government and police chiefs continue to deny that this is a problem of structural racism. As a result nothing changes.”

Commenting on this year’s figures, IOPC Director General Michael Lockwood said: “Substance abuse, intoxication, and mental health vulnerabilities are key issues this year. Yet again we are seeing a sadly familiar picture of people with clear vulnerabilities coming into contact with the police because their needs aren’t adequately met by other services.

“The majority of the 92 other deaths we investigated were people who came into contact with the police because of concerns for their welfare and more than half were reported to be intoxicated or affected by substance abuse. Over two-thirds of those who died were reported to have mental health concerns.

“Each of these deaths is a tragedy and, while not all will have been avoidable, an  over-reliance on the police service to step in to critical situations involving medical emergencies or mental health crises is unfair to those who have died, their families, and the often ill-equipped officers involved. These issues cannot be solved by the police service alone and need a concerted, system-wide response to help prevent future deaths from occurring.”

Of those who died following contact with police, a total of nine people died after had force used against them, three of whom were Black.

They include Mouayed Bashir, a 29 year old man of Sudanese heritage, died following restraint by Gwent police in Newport on 17 February 2021 after officers responded to reports of concern for his welfare.

Despite use of force on these individuals, the IOPC said this does not necessarily mean that the force used contributed to their deaths.

The IOPC report comes after disgraced West Mercia police officer Benjamin Monk was found guilty of the manslaughter of Dalian Atkinson - the first police officer to have been found guilty of this crime following a death in police contact or custody in England and Wales in 35 years.

Former Premier League footballer Mr Atkinson, 48, died on 15 August 2016, following use of force by officers of force which included multiple and prolonged use of Taser, baton strikes, and kicks to the head.

Mr Lockwood added: “Police have hundreds of thousands of interactions with the public each year. Where deaths do occur following contact with police, it is important we have in place robust systems of investigation and accountability, identifying where changes can be made to reduce future risks.

“I hope this report along with the findings and recommendations from our independent investigations, and the experiences of bereaved families, will now be used to make improvements which prevent future deaths.”

A Black Lives Matter UK spokesperson told The Independent: “This is disgraceful but not surprising. These disturbing details reflect the painful experiences of too many Black people in this country.

“Once again this proves policing produces racist outcomes, which is why we continue oppose the government plans to expand police powers. The police in this country do not serve Black people.”