Former Chief Constable Bettison ‘subverted’ Lawrence Inquiry

The recent revelation that the former Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, Sir Norman Bettison allegedly attempted to influence the way a key witness, Mohammed Amran, gave evidence to the Macpherson Inquiry when it visited Bradford is deeply disturbing.

Mohammed Amran says he is working with his legal team to demand a full independent inquiry and investigation into the role of the former Chief Constable Norman Bettison.

I feel absolutely gutted, upset and betrayed by officers who I thought were working with me to rebuild trust and confidence of the local community in the police force. I have always felt that there were real issues with the police and today’s revelations reinforce my feelings that more needs to be done to improve policing practices and community relations"

I will be asking for a full independent inquiry to all the issues arising consequently and also that the IPCC takes this seriously and hold a thorough investigation and make all the evidence including all documents available to me."

The Macpherson Inquiry took evidence from the local police, councils and race equality officers in Bradford on 21 October 1998 as part of a larger Inquiry into the murder of the Black teenager Stephen Lawrence. If correct, the allegations demonstrate the levels to which Bettison was prepared to stoop to undermine the Inquiry process. More disturbingly, they call into question the extent to which the leadership and indeed rank and file officers of West Yorkshire Police were committed to tackling racially and religiously motivated crime; dealing appropriately and sensitively with victims; and actively pursuing perpetrators.

These recent revelations, together with those stemming from the Hillsborough Inquiry, present a picture of an officer of the law – holding the highest public office in the region – and entrusted with protecting and serving the diverse communities of West Yorkshire, demonstrating a blatant disregard for victims and the Inquiry process. The undermining of due process in the context of a framework designed to establish the truth, accountability and re-building trust and confidence in the policing highlights how Institutional Racism defined the culture of the organisation that he led.

Given these developments, JUST West Yorkshire believes that immediate action must be taken to reassure the public and especially BME communities in West Yorkshire and beyond that Bettison's actions and that of West Yorkshire Police under his leadership were not part of a culture in which discriminatory treatment towards Black and Minority Ethnic victims of crime, suspects, defendants, and staff working for West Yorkshire Police was the norm.

The issue of BME confidence is critical, as over the last few years, JUST West Yorkshire has supported a number of victims and police officers that have been subject to police racism. The disproportionate use of police stop and searches targeting the region’s Black communities and the on-going surveillance of Muslim communities in the government’s so-called ‘war on terror’ suggest that institutional racism continues to define the internal culture of the Force.

In the light of the most recent revelations, JUST West Yorkshire’s believes that only an independent judicial Inquiry, can establish the truth around the alleged surveillance and smear campaign against the Lawrence Family and Duwayne Brookes. With allegations that Greater Manchester Police officers gathered intelligence on those attending the Macpherson Inquiry and that Norman Bettison sought to influence the way in which a witness gave evidence to the Macpherson Inquiry, it is clear that the scope of the Inquiry must be broad enough to examine these very serious allegations.

Policing with consent requires trust and confidence of communities and the serious alleged breaches by at last three different Forces requires the Home Secretary, Theresa May to urgently appoint an independent Judicial Inquiry in order to tackle violations of due process at the heart of policing.

Ratna Lachman
Director, JUST West Yorkshire