In delivering the functions of the police authority for the City
of London police area, the City of London Corporation has a duty to
promote equality and prevent and eliminate unlawful discrimination
and must ensure that its actions meet the requirements of the
European Convention on Human Rights. The City Corporation
recognises that equality and respect for diversity and human rights
in policing is essential in maintaining high levels of public
confidence. It also acknowledges the particular need for the police
service to be representative of the community it serves and that a
strong commitment to equality and valuing diversity is key to
achieving this.
The Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced a new duty for police
authorities to “promote diversity within the police force
maintained area and within the authority”. This new duty supported
the equality duties at the time and tackled the gap in laws in
relation to promoting equality.
More recently the Equality Act 2010 introduced the Single
Equality Duty for public bodies and incorporated previous statutory
duties including race, gender and disability which were introduced
to improve equality for these particular groups.
The Single Equality Duty requires public bodies to show that in
the decision-making processes and in service delivery, they have
had due regard to the need to:
- eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
and any other conduct prohibited by the Act;
- advance equality of opportunity between people who share a
protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and
- foster good relations between people who share a protected
characteristic and people who do not share it.
These are often referred to as the three aims or arms of the
general equality duty/Single Equality Duty.
Having due regard for advancing equality involves:
- Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to
their protected characteristics.
- Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups
where these are different from the needs of other people.
- Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in
public life or in other activities where their participation is
disproportionately low.
The majority of police authority functions have been delegated
to the City of London’s Police Committee.
In the exercise of its functions, the Committee needs to
demonstrate that it has considered how the decisions that it makes,
the services it delivers and commissions affect people who share
different protected characteristics:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of
eliminating unlawful discrimination)
- pregnancy and maternity
- race – this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or
nationality
- religion or belief – this includes lack of belief
- sex (gender)
- sexual orientation.
The specific duties require public bodies to publish a range of
information that demonstrates their compliance with the Equality
Duty by 31 January 2012 and that by 6 April 2012 we publish our
equality objectives for the next three to four years.
The Police Committee have appointed a lead member for Equality,
Diversity and Human Rights who reports on activity at every
meeting.
The City of London Police Committee will seek to discharge its
duties by some of the following means:
Scrutiny of City of London Police in the implementation of its
Single Equality Scheme;
Receipt and scrutiny of workforce data to ensure that progress
in workforce representation is on-going and to ensure there is no
disparity in the treatment of existing staff;
Ensure due regard for community needs and understanding of their
issues is reflected in determining policing priorities;
Tasking the Professional Standards and Complaints Sub-Committee
to oversee the handling of complaints and the maintenance of
standards including complaints relating to discrimination on the
grounds of the protected characteristics, across the force. Where
necessary recommend changes in procedures and performance to the
Police Committee.
On this page we have published some of the information that we
believe demonstrates that City of London Corporation, in its
capacity as police authority, are meeting their obligations under
the Single Equality Duty.
Equality Objectives
The City of London Police Committee has agreed the
following equality objectives to meet its obligations under
the Public Sector Equality Duty:
- Review and update Single Equality Scheme (SES) by June
2012 and review the need for and the contents of a future
scheme in 2013.
- Professional Standards and Complaints Sub-Committee to continue
to monitor the handling of Force complaints, referring any
underlying issues relating to discrimination to the Grand
Committee, where appropriate.
- Police Committee to continue to monitor progress of Lokahi
Action plan (every six months).
- Police Committee to monitor progress of EDHR action plan
through interim report at six month stage and end of year
progress report.
- Police Committee to continue to receive City of London Police
Workforce data to monitor change of staff profile by protected
characteristics and to ensure that it receives the appropriate data
to ensure perform its oversight duties every six months.
- Police Committee to monitor Force compliance with specific
equality duties every six months.