Faith communities in London - Does the MPS provide an adequate service?

23/05
18 May 2005

This and other questions will be debated by invited representatives of London’s many faith groups at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board (EODB) tomorrow, Thursday 19 May.

Before the formal part of the meeting faith representatives will participate in an open discussion to provide feedback on current Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) policies and offer advice on their future direction.

Kirsten Hearn, chair of the EODB, said:

“The MPA intends this meeting to be a useful dialogue with faith groups about the quality of the service provided to all faith communities by London’s police.

“Only by identifying and building appropriate responses to the needs of individual faith communities, in short by being sensitive to traditions and beliefs, can the police earn the confidence and trust of these important communities.”

Kirsten continued:

“The Authority will be asking the MPS how it intends to improve the ability to report and monitor faith hate crimes. This is in part triggered by the increasing incidence of faith hate crimes in the capital: between April and February 2003-04 and the same period in 2004-05 the recording of faith hate crimes in London increased by 37.5%, from 240 to 330 crimes.

“We shall also be seeking assurance from the MPS that it assigns the same importance to faith, as an equality strand, as it does already to gender, race, disability or sexual orientation.”

Another paper to be discussed at the EODB meeting will explore how the MPS is working to minimise the impact of counter terrorism work on London’s diverse communities, in particular Muslim communities.

Notes to editors

1. The Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board meets at 10:00 on Thursday 19 May 2005 in Meeting Room 1 at the MPA, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

2. Members of the public and media are welcome to attend.

3. The papers for tomorrow’s meeting of the Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board are available on the MPA’s dedicated website

4. Faith groups that have confirmed their attendance at the meeting include:

African & Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA); Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM); Christian Police Association (CPA) London Branch; Muslim Safety Forum; Association of Muslim Researchers; Union of Jewish Students; Board of Deputies of British Jews; Jewish Women’s Aid; The Peace Alliance; Faithworks; Evangelical Alliance; London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre; London Churches Group for Social Action; Camden Faith

Communities’ Partnership; Finsbury Park Christian-Muslim Group; Faith in Lewisham Network; Newham Faith Sector Forum; Newham Voluntary Sector Consortium; Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum; Westminster Faith Exchange; Catholic Diocese of Westminster; MPS Hindu Association; National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the UK; British Humanist Association; Churches Together in England.

5. The MPA’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board (EODB) holds regular themed meetings to focus on specific areas of diversity with the participation of invited interest groups.

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