Sussex Police is the second police force to win national award for diversity

Race Equality Matters is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to encourage meaningful and positive action from organisations and individuals when it comes to tackling race.

The award puts Sussex Police hot on the heels of Thames Valley Police, which was awarded Trailblazer status last year following the introduction of the Police Race Action Plan. which was intended to improve the relationship between officers and black people.

In Sussex, it comes after Assistant Chief Police Officer Anita Grant won ‘Asian Woman of Achievement 2023’ in the category of Public Service, earlier in the year, following her work on the Sussex and Surrey Police Force’s work on a Race Action Plan of their own.

“The actions we have taken over the last year have set a strong foundation to build an anti-racist police service on; including introducing racial equality as a specific requirement in performance reviews and promotion processes to make sure that the right people are leading the organisation, from front line supervisors to chief officers. Also introducing Race Equality Advocates into every department to identify and promote what changes can be made to best serve our racially diverse communities in everything we do,” she said.

Jed Murray, who is the Chair of the Race Advisory Group, a panel of independent community members who provide insights to direct policies and processes within Sussex Police, added: “In the last year, the Race Advisory Group has supported and challenged Sussex Police in the development and implementation of the local race action plan. We have been central in developing the core ideas of what anti-racism in policing means and have provided insights that shaped audits and actions across the organisation.

"The Trailblazer status shows a real commitment by Sussex police to acknowledge past failings and make the required structural and cultural changes meaningful with the help of all communities to shape the future of policing in Sussex. We are always looking for new advisors and I urge anyone in Sussex who has an interest in social justice and inclusion to get involved in this vitally important work.”