Does Britain’s Focus on Diversity Undermine Impartial Policing?

The think tank Policy Exchange says diversity initiatives have weakened the principle of equal treatment, pointing to the Nottingham and Southport cases and £631m in spending.

British police officers take part in a Pride parade, an event cited in the Policy Exchange report as reflecting the growing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

British think tank Policy Exchange has released a report arguing that in recent years questions about the existence of “differential” or “two-tier” policing have become one of the central issues in British policing. It says this perception has been reinforced by several high-profile cases in which the state failed to deal effectively with serious crime or abuse, at least in part because professionals feared being labeled racist due to the ethnicity of the perpetrator.

The report cites a number of examples, including the case of Henry Nowak, who was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa, who subsequently fabricated allegations that Nowak had racially abused and attacked him in an apparent attempt to portray himself as the victim. The police failed to give first aid to the wounded Nowak, instead handcuffing him as he bled to death.

Policy Exchange explicitly argues that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and anti-racism training, which it says seek to achieve an “equality of outcomes” rather than equality of opportunity, amount to “a rejection of policing’s duty to act without fear or favor” and the implementation of “two-tier policing”.

The think tank also estimates that DEI and anti-racism training introduced across British policing since the death of George Floyd in the United States has cost taxpayers £631m ($846m). It argues that the money would have been enough to fund thousands of additional police officers and countless hours of frontline policing.

You might be interested New UK Report: Yes, Our Police Are Awfully Woke and Political

Diversity Training Has Led to Fatal Cases

The report’s author, David Spencer, further says that these changes to policing were driven not by politicians but by police chiefs themselves. He writes: “In doing so some police chiefs have set policing against its own foundational principle, to act ‘without fear or favor’.”

The report argues that these priorities are reflected in the strategic plans adopted by police forces across England. It found that 58% of forces focused primarily or exclusively on Black people and communities rather than on serving all communities equally, which it says risks creating an implicit “hierarchy” between ethnic groups.

More than half (53%) framed their diversity policies around policing's historical failings rather than contemporary crime-fighting priorities, frequently referring to concepts such as “institutional racism” or seeking to eliminate racial “disproportionality” without clearly defining those terms. The report also found that 87% of forces had adopted explicit “anti-racist” commitments or objectives.

Spencer voiced concerns about accusations of racism that have, in some cases, influenced policing and public sector decision-making. The report cites several high-profile cases, including the Nottingham attacks, where a public inquiry heard that the mental health team assessing Valdo Calocane considered the “over-representation” of young Black men in detention before deciding not to hospitalize him. Three years later, he killed three people.

It also references the Southport murders, where a social worker allegedly accused Axel Rudakubana’s head teacher of racially stereotyping him after concerns were raised about his behavior. Rudakubana later murdered three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.

You might be interested An Islamic “Pride Guide” Shocks Liberals into Dropping Diversity

DEI Spending Could Have Funded Thousands of Officers

Spencer argues these cases may not be isolated errors but symptoms of broader institutional practices shaped by diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Based on estimates drawn from five English police forces, the report breaks down the £631m spent on DEI initiatives and the Police Race Action Plan since 2020 as follows: approximately £431m ($578m) on staff time for DEI training, £177m ($237m) on roles with DEI responsibilities and £23m ($31m) on external training and consultancy.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp backed the author’s conclusions, calling the spending “a shocking waste of taxpayers’ money” and arguing that police “should cancel all this DEI nonsense and spend the time and money catching criminals instead”. He said resources should be focused on tackling offenses such as knife crime, burglary and shoplifting.