As music and laughter spilled from a lively party on the green outside York Gardens Library in Battersea inside, a quieter but no less urgent conversation was taking place. Dozens of residents and police officers gathered under the banner of the London Race Action Plan, tasked with a question as simple as it is complex: how can the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) rebuild trust with the Black community?
The irony wasn’t lost on attendees. The group outside — made up largely of local Black residents — represented the very people the Met says it wants to connect with. Yet inside, the number of uniformed officers nearly matched the number of community participants. One speaker pointed out the imbalance and asked plainly, “Where are the people we’re meant to be engaging?”
The event, organised as part of the MPS’s ongoing community engagement strategy, was structured around three big questions. Groups were asked to consider how trust can be restored, how the London Race Action Plan could make a real difference, and what might make Black Londoners feel able to support the Met. Discussions were candid, at times difficult, and often personal.
Disparities in policing
The first theme that emerged was one of historic and ongoing mistrust. Residents spoke of being repeatedly stopped and searched, treated with suspicion, or ignored when they tried to report crimes. Even officers present acknowledged that damaging statistics — showing Black Londoners are disproportionately more likely to be stopped, searched, and arrested — make it hard to defend the status quo.
Though some community members said they had good relationships with local officers, they described feeling surveilled rather than supported when police appeared in numbers at community events. “We want to see you in the shops, on our streets, like you’re part of this neighbourhood,” one attendee said — a comment that earned nods and murmurs of agreement.
Others highlighted a sense of disconnect between policy and lived experience. Concerns were raised that introducing the London Race Action Plan [pdf] could lead to an additional bureaucratic burden, with much of their time spent on documentation rather than spending time in their community.
The issue of representation came up repeatedly — not just in terms of recruitment, but in retention and progression. The room heard how highly qualified Black colleagues could be overlooked in a rigid system that seems to favour those who follow a narrow, traditional path. Others spoke of police officers being “questioned” by their own communities for joining the force, and facing scepticism from both sides.
No single Black community
The complexity of community support was laid bare in the final section of the meeting. Participants pushed back against the idea that the Black community is a monolith. There is no single viewpoint, they said — and any attempt to treat “the Black community” as one group often undermines the nuance of lived realities. “There is no single Black community — and trying to treat it as such is part of the problem,” one participant said, bluntly.
Another echoed a common frustration: that police are often only invited to community events as security, not as people. “Invite the police, yes,” the man said. “But don’t just invite them to patrol. Invite them to participate. That’s how you build trust.”
As the discussion drew to a close, attention turned to leadership. One attendee expressed disappointment that local councillors weren’t present, saying political accountability should be part of the conversation. Superintendent Gani Rajan, who attended and responded to questions at the end, acknowledged the point but said he had generally found councillors “engaged and constructive” when it came to improving community relations.
Police culture
Rajan also addressed concerns about internal police culture. While several officers said they had not personally witnessed overt racism during their service, it was acknowledged that subtle forms of prejudice — particularly in promotions and decision-making — were still present. Much of the London Race Action Plan’s focus will end up focussed on internal reform, but it was agreed that without visible external progress, public trust would not improve.
By the end of the evening, a clear message had emerged: community engagement must be consistent, not crisis-driven. Officers need to be present not just when things go wrong, but as part of the everyday fabric of the neighbourhood. Relationships cannot be built from behind clipboards and compliance checklists.
The Met has made public its commitment to change. But as one resident quietly asked while packing up their notes, “Are they really ready to meet us where we are?”
A resident I spoke to said that she’d like to see police on patrol. More resources need to be put into community policing.