The Murder Investigation Of Steven Lawrence

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Sir William Macpherson led an investigation into the conduct of the police during the murder investigation of Steven Lawrence, known as The Macpherson Report, which analysed the behaviour of the police, both as an institution and as individuals. This report criticises the Metropolitan Police and determines that the police did not conduct their murder investigation in an appropriate manner, and ultimately labels the Metropolitan police force to be institutionally racist. This essay will focus on whether there have been any changes to the police service as a result of Macpherson’s findings.
On the 22nd April 1993, Lawrence was stabbed at bus stop in South London, and died as a result of his wounds. The following day, the police received a letter …show more content…

As of the 16th October 2015, a new investigation was conducted into allegations that corruption within the Metropolitan Police shielded killers. Due to this investigation taking place, this illustrates that Recommendation 1 from The Macpherson Report had not been implemented, this Recommendation stating that ‘a Ministerial Priority be established for all Police Services: "To increase trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities".’ This investigation into allegations that the Metropolitan Police shield killers illustrates that there have been little changes in the police force to help increase the publics’ (particularly those of an ethic minority) trust and confidence in policing, due to the potential corruption of the police force, and their lack of reliability to bring justice to those who deserve …show more content…

In 1999, a black person was six times more likely to be stopped and searched under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; in 2006/07 it was seven times. The National DNA Database, which currently retains all DNA samples from anyone arrested, is also “hugely discriminatory”. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission estimates that over 30% of all black men are on the database, compared with 10% of all white men. Clearly, these issues of disproportionality relate to the over-representation of black people in the criminal justice system, highlighting that there is indeed institutionalised racism present within the police force. At the Macpherson Inquiry, Mrs Lawrence, addressed her concerns about the treatment of her family by the police during the investigation of Stephen’s murder. Although Family Liaison Officers have since been introduced to improve the relationship between the investigation team and victims’ families, in her opinion these officers “are more there to collect information and evidence rather than communicate to the family how the investigation is happening” and black families continue to feel that they are treated differently from white families. She believed that at the root of this was the assumption by officers that black victims of violence are often involved in criminal activity themselves. In 2008, 28% of people from ethnic minority

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