Response to Police Race Action Plan ISOB report

The national Police Race Action Plan is scrutinised by the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB), chaired by Abimbola Johnson. She is supported in her work by five board members.

Members of the ISOB board are aligned to the PRAP’s workstreams, attend key meetings and collate their assessment into an annual report on the PRAP’s progress.

This latest report summarises the board's view on five years of work by the plan. 

In response, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said:

“There is no doubt that policing has made huge strides in certain areas under the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) since it launched, thanks to the commitment of thousands of people both inside and outside policing.

“Their efforts should not be overlooked in creating a service which has a more diverse workforce, far greater understanding of disproportionality in how we use our powers and listens far better to a broader range of our communities.

“PRAP is the only national police programme which has committed to this model of independent scrutiny delivered by ISOB and I want to reiterate my huge thanks to Abimbola and her board for their work, which has provided a constructive, robust and credible overview of the plan’s progress and where we still need to make improvements.

“I share their conclusion that there is still far more work to be done. Progress in this area has been inconsistent, too often dependent on committed individuals and not driven by the kind of systemic and deep rooted cultural change I and many others envisaged at the outset of this plan.

“PRAP will continue in a new guise with a strong operational focus on anti-racism and it is vital that leaders across policing continue to recognise its importance and remain committed to deliver a service that earns the trust and confidence of all our officers, staff and communities we serve.”

You can read the report in full via the ISOB's website.