What is racial profiling?
Racial profiling is suspecting that someone has committed a criminal offence based on ethnicity, nationality or religion rather than available evidence. The Equality Act of 2010 states that any discrimination is unlawful; if you experience racial profiling by the police, you can take action against them.
Examples of racial profiling
Police stop and search
If you are subject to a police stop and search, the police or community officer at the time must explain on what grounds they are performing a stop and search. In most cases, the officer should offer you a record of the procedure at the time of the incident occurring.
You should only be subject to a stop and search if the police or community officer a the time believes you have been involved in a crime. However, police officers often act upon racial bias and racial profiling and perform suspicionless stops and searches based on ethnicity, nationality and religion.
In the UK, black people are 10 times more likely to experience stop and search than if you’re white.
Being stopped by the police while driving
The police have the power to stop any vehicle at any time. That being said, there have been a number of prolific cases of MET police racial profiling members of the BAME community when conducting stops.
Suspecting someone has committed a crime due to the colour of their skin goes against The Equality Act 2010; you may be able to take action against the police if you have been subject to it.
Can I claim compensation for racial profiling by the police?
If you want to claim compensation from the police, you may have to make a complaint first. Your complaint will be an important first step in taking legal action; it should be investigated either by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) or the Professional Standards Department.
We recommend getting in touch with our team of solicitors who have experience helping people with these types of claims. We can help you get justice for the wrongdoing you have experienced at the hands of the police.
Get in touch
All police misconduct cases taken on by TDP Solicitors offer a “no win, no fee” arrangement; you will not have to pay a penny unless your case is successful. If your case is successful, you will pay a solicitor’s fee once the case is resolved. To find out more information about claims against the police, please contact us at 0151 242 5111 or send us an email at info@tdpsolicitors.co.uk.