The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has welcomed new police guidelines encouraging forces to release the race and nationality of those charged in high-profile cases. The move is intended to combat misinformation on social media, which last summer fuelled unrest after the murder of three schoolgirls in Southport, when false claims about the killer's background spread widely.
However, race campaigners have condemned the policy, warning it will fuel prejudice and deepen divisions. Enny Choudhury, co-head of legal at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said releasing ethnicity on a blanket basis 'will simply fuel mistrust, deepen divisions, and make Black and brown communities more vulnerable to prejudice and harm.' She argued that building a policy around isolated cases like Southport is dangerous and turns race into a variable in policing.
Peter Herbert of the Society of Black Lawyers described the disclosure of ethnicity as a 'dangerous precedent' that could enable dog-whistle politics. He recalled the misinformation surrounding the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, questioning the police's role given allegations of institutional racism. Conspiracy theorists, he added, are rarely satisfied by official announcements.
The guidance, developed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), comes into immediate effect and is meant to ensure police processes are 'fit for purpose in an age of rapid information spread'. The policing minister, Diana Johnson, said the government wants police to release these details in 'most cases', stressing that disinformation is a 'bigger problem for society'.
But former Metropolitan police chief superintendent Dal Babu warned of unintended consequences, saying the policy could increase online speculation in cases where details are not released. Decisions on releasing information will remain with individual forces, who will also consider legal and ethical factors. Verifying a suspect's immigration status will fall to the Home Office, not the police.
