The National Black Police Association (NBPA) welcomes the publication of the rapid review led by Baroness Louise Casey and fully supports her commitment to transparency, accountability, and justice for victims. This review highlights once again the serious cultural and systemic issues that persist within policing and reaffirms the urgent need for lasting reform.
We are clear: ethnicity must never be used as a shield for wrongdoing. Our role as the NBPA is to support our members in achieving equity – not impunity. We stand with the victims and survivors who have been repeatedly failed by institutions that should have protected them. Their voices and experiences must remain central to the conversation and the reforms that follow.
It is important to acknowledge the findings in the review that suggest there may be an over-representation of Pakistani Muslim men in specific cases of group based sexual exploitation. These are serious concerns that must be addressed with honesty, care, and urgency.
This finding underscores the need for a dual approach: while we must resist harmful generalisations and the stigmatising of entire communities, we must also be brave enough to confront hard truths. There is a need to engage with Pakistani communities directly to understand the root causes, and to support those within these communities who are already working to challenge harmful behaviours. As one of our colleagues said, “even one case is one too many,” and silence serves no-one but the perpetrators.
We must also resist narratives that generalise wrongdoing across ethnic or religious lines, as this only deepens division and fuels prejudice. A rigorous, evidence-based approach is essential – grounded in consistent, disaggregated national data. The lack of such data continues to obscure the true scale and nature of these issues. This gap is also evident in misconduct and vetting outcomes across policing, where ethnicity remains poorly recorded. Addressing these data deficits is key to restoring public confidence and ensuring fair, accountable policing.
We have seen far too many reports accepted in principle only to gather dust in practice. Policing is not the only institution that has faced serious criticism for failing to confront child sexual abuse, similar failures have been exposed across politics, the media, and entertainment, particularly in cases involving celebrities and individuals in positions of power. These failures have too often stemmed from unethical decision-making driven by reputation management rather than a duty to protect the vulnerable.
This must not become yet another moment of reflection without consequence. The stakes are too high. Meaningful reform is essential, not only to prevent future corruption and ethical failure, but to rebuild public trust and ensure
institutions are truly accountable to those they serve.
The NBPA will continue to advocate for fair treatment, amplify the voices of those who speak out, and work in partnership with others to ensure that policing is transparent, accountable, and deserving of the communities it serves.
We also urge that, now Baroness Casey is no longer bound by government commission, she is given the opportunity to revisit and review the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police Service—as originally recommended.
19 June 2025