Two British police forces that stood up in 2023 and called themselves institutionally racist have not fired a single officer for racism in the two years that followed, even after receiving 360 formal complaints about race discrimination. Exclusive data obtained by Hyphen after months of freedom of information battles shows the promises of change have so far rung hollow.
Historic Admissions That Shocked the Nation
In May 2023, Police Scotland’s then chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone became the first leader in Britain to publicly state his force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”. A month later, Avon and Somerset chief constable Sarah Crew followed suit, telling her officers the force had “more to do” to root out systemic bias.
These were landmark moments. For decades the term “institutional racism” had been levelled at policing by outsiders, most famously in the 1999 Macpherson report into Stephen Lawrence’s murder. Now forces were finally saying it about themselves.
The public expected action. Many hoped real accountability would follow.
What Happened to the Complaints?
Between the admissions and July 2025, members of the public and fellow officers lodged 194 race-related complaints against Police Scotland and 166 against Avon and Somerset.
The outcomes are stark.
Not one officer was dismissed.
In Police Scotland:
- 29 cases were closed with “front line resolution” (a quick chat, often an apology or explanation)
- 38 were “concluded by explanation”
- 37 were simply abandoned
- 15 were withdrawn
- 59 remain unresolved
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has repeatedly warned that front line resolution is unsuitable for discrimination allegations except in the clearest, most minor cases.
In Avon and Somerset:
- 102 complaints were marked “service acceptable”
- Only 6 were ruled “unacceptable”
- Just one public complaint reached formal misconduct proceedings
- Three cases were closed with “learning from reflection”; the other three saw no further action
Voices from the Ground
Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association, told Hyphen the numbers speak for themselves.
“When forces admit institutional racism but then fail to sack anyone after hundreds of complaints, it sends a message that nothing has really changed,” he said. “Black and minority ethnic communities already feel the system does not protect them. This just confirms it.”
Green MP Carla Denyer, whose Bristol Central constituency falls under Avon and Somerset, said she will raise the findings directly with the chief constable.
“Calling yourself institutionally racist is easy,” she said. “Actually holding officers to account is the hard part these forces are clearly avoiding.”
Veteran MP Diane Abbott called the admissions “a breakthrough” but added: “Words must be followed by deeds. Right now, deeds are missing.”
Former IOPC regional director Sal Naseem, the first Muslim to hold the role, explained why racial bias cases are so hard to prosecute.
“Overt racist language is straightforward,” he said. “But unconscious bias, unfair stop and search, disproportionate use of force; those are devilishly difficult to prove to the misconduct standard. Forces often hide behind that difficulty rather than confront it.”
A Pattern Older Than the Admissions
Police Scotland’s declaration came while the public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, who died in restraint in Kirkcaldy in 2015, continues to hear evidence of racial bias in the officers’ actions and the subsequent investigation.
Across Britain, trust in policing among Black communities remains at rock bottom. Baroness Casey’s 2023 review of the Metropolitan Police found institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia. Yet even there, sackings for racism remain rare.
When chiefs make brave public statements but the internal machinery keeps churning out “service acceptable” and “reflective practice” outcomes, the gap between rhetoric and reality grows wider.
People notice.
They remember.
And they stop calling 999, stop giving witness statements, stop believing the police are on their side.
That is the real crisis these numbers reveal: not just that officers kept their jobs, but that trust, already on life support in many communities, has been dealt another blow.
The question now is simple. If admitting the problem changes nothing, what will?
