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Met Police hit with legal challenge over governance of safer schools officers

The Metropolitan Police face a judicial review over the governance of its safer schools officers and whether their presence could have disproportionately negative consequences for black and minority ethnic (BAME) groups.

The case, which has secured permission to proceed, has been brought by law firm Simpson Millar on behalf of the family of a BAME autistic boy who was investigated by the Crown Prosecution Service after he got into a verbal altercation with a member of staff.

It will argue that the Metropolitan Police failed to comply with the public sector equality duty while deploying officers in schools.

The case will not challenge the principle of deploying police officers in schools but will raise concerns over the failure to monitor, assess and understand the equalities implications of this.

Dan Rosenberg, who is representing the family, said: “Deploying police officers in schools may have benefits for students and the wider school community, and no one is disputing that, least of all our client.

“However, it was important to clarify whether the presence of police officers in schools may have disproportionality negative consequences for black and ethnic minority boys and/or children with special education needs and disabilities, causing them to be drawn into the criminal justice system unnecessarily.”

He said it was important that the police should understand, monitor and address the equality implications of the deployment, but they had failed to do this.

A Metropolitan Police statement said: “The Met is defending a judicial review claim brought in March 2020, relating to the Met's safer schools project.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while proceedings are ongoing.”

Mark Smulian