GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE CHIEF SAYS ANTI-RACISM GUIDANCE FUELLED TWO-TIER MYTH

Sir Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, stated that official anti-racism guidance has contributed to the perception of "two-tier policing" in Britain, despite his assertion that such bias does not exist. Watson said police forces had not treated white people differently, but acknowledged that guidance produced by the National Police Chiefs' Council in 2025 had allowed this perception to develop. He described the force's approach as having "over-corrected" in response to accusations of racism. The guidance advised officers to treat suspects differently according to their ethnicity, Watson stated.

Watson said the controversy surrounding the murder of Henry Nowak, which prompted riots in Southampton, had made the perception of unequal policing widespread. He indicated that policing had "adopted the language of activism" and incorporated "challenged concepts" into official policy without sufficient scrutiny. Watson noted that such language and concepts were then used as evidence by critics that police do not treat all people equally. He called for forces to become "a little less timid" about emphasising their impartiality.

The National Police Chiefs' Council announced a review of its 2025 anti-racism commitment following criticism in the wake of Nowak's death. That commitment states officers should "respond to individuals and communities according to their specific needs, circumstances and experiences, with understanding that these will be racialised and with the aim of reducing harm." Watson, identified as a potential successor to Sir Mark Rowley as head of the Metropolitan Police, said policing must learn from recent events. He stated that forces should review guidance that has allowed perceptions of biased policing to take hold.