| SPOTLIGHT |
The Metropolitan Police has agreed to review its governance of its Safer Schools Officers across London amidst concerns that their presence could have “disproportionately negative consequences” for black and minority ethnic groups, it has been reported.
The move comes in response to legal action bought by law firm Simpson Millar on behalf of the family of a black autistic boy who was investigated by the CPS after he got into a verbal altercation with a member of staff.
The family argued that the Met had failed to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty while deploying officers in schools.
Simpson Millar said the legal action did not challenge the principle of deploying police officers in schools, but rather highlighted ‘significant concerns’ over the failure to monitor, assess and understand the equalities implications of putting police officers in schools in London.
Last month the High Court granted permission for a judicial review to go ahead and a substantive hearing was expected later in the year.
Simpson Millar said the police had now agreed to settle the case, and had agreed to collect and analyse data on the equality implications of the deployment of Safer Schools Officers in schools in the Metropolitan Police area.
Dan Rosenberg, an education law expert at Simpson Millar who is representing the family, said: “Deploying police officers in schools may have benefits for students and the wider school community, and no one is disputing that, least of all our client.
“However, there is a risk that the presence of police officers in schools may have disproportionality negative consequences for black and ethnic minority boys and/or children with special education needs and disabilities, causing them to be drawn into the criminal justice system unnecessarily.
“We’re delighted that the Met has now agreed to monitor and address the equality implications of deploying police officers in schools, which simply cannot be done without the collection and analysis of relevant data.”
