Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police commissioner, has refused to meet with the president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), Andy George, amid a row over officers taking the knee. George described the snub as 'baffling' at a time when confidence among black and ethnic minority (BAME) officers is at rock-bottom.
George had requested an urgent meeting with Rowley to discuss issues including the shooting of Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man, by police in south London on 5 September. However, his request was rejected in an email on Wednesday morning, despite having regular meetings with Rowley's predecessor, Cressida Dick.
The snub follows Rowley's suggestion in his first media interviews that he would prevent Met officers from taking the knee, describing it as aligning with a protest group. George called this stance 'very disappointing' and said equality should not be seen as a political gesture. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also ordered an end to 'symbolic gestures' in policing.
George, a serving inspector in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, expressed concern that Rowley's approach could further damage trust in the Met among BAME communities. He said the force had been 'gaslighting' these communities on issues such as stop and search, with repeated promises of improvement that fail to materialise.
A Met spokesman said George had been invited to join the next meeting between Rowley and a representative of the Metropolitan Black Police Association. However, George argued that internal organisations struggle to challenge leadership adequately for fear of repercussions.
