News

Equality watchdog responds to proposed Police Inspection Framework consultation for 2025-2029

Published: 1 November 2024

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has responded to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) PEEL (Police) Inspection Framework 2025-29. 

This forms part of the work the equality regulator is doing to prevent and address race and sex-based discrimination, harassment and victimisation in fire services, police and armed forces in England, Scotland and Wales and to assess the risks associated with deployment of new technologies in policing.

The EHRC calls for routine inspections of police forces to always include equality and human rights considerations, particularly when assessing Chief Constables and other senior police figures, to ensure that leaders in the force are giving due regard to their equality and human rights obligations. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s consultation response recommends:

  • That HMICFRS prioritise the inspection of new and emerging technology, particularly facial recognition technology, to ensure usage of this technology is done transparently and to ensure that the technology is never used to breach equality and human rights law. 
  • That inspections ensure that forces are taking steps to tackle discrimination, harassment and victimisation. 
  • That inspections assess whether police forces are giving due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty, and that they comply with both the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. 

This work follows several highly critical independent reports which highlighted systemic harassment and victimisation of primarily female and ethnic minority officers.  

A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: 

"Police officers, staff and the public they protect should not be subject to discrimination, harassment or victimisation. As Britain’s expert equality regulator, we welcome the opportunity to help HMICFRS address these issues.

"All police forces should be aware that they must proactively follow equality and human rights law. We know that Chief Constables and Forces respond to the conclusions HMIFRCS reaches and the recommendations HMIFRCS makes. 

"Making assessments of practices that risk discrimination in policing practice and of working cultures that should guard against harassment and discrimination in the workforce should be a key part of inspections by HMICFRS, as they hold these vital services to account. 

"HMICFRS should use its powers under the framework to scrutinise police use of emerging technologies like facial recognition, to ensure people with protected characteristics – including race and sex – are not being discriminated against.

"We are also calling for regular assessments to make sure that police forces are taking reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, as employers are now legally required to by the new Worker Protection Action 2023.

"The scale of problems with harassment and discrimination in the police is well-documented and reported, and we hope this consultation helps give inspectors the tools and knowledge to hold the police to account."