The head of the Metropolitan Police has described as “shameful” the stark racial disparity in life outcomes for boys growing up in London, stating that black boys are significantly more likely to be dead by the age of 18 than their white peers.
Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley acknowledged the enduring mistrust between black communities and the police, calling it a “real problem” that continues to undermine public confidence.
“The vast majority of our people are good people,” Rowley said. “But that legacy, combined with the tragedy that some of this crime falls most heavily in black communities, creates a real problem because the legacy creates concern.”
The commissioner admitted the Metropolitan Police still makes mistakes and must continue to work relentlessly to address them. “It’s not right that black boys growing up in London are more likely to be dead by the time they’re 18, far more likely than white boys. That’s, I think, shameful for the city,” he said.
Rowley highlighted the tension between necessary policing measures and their impact on communities with low trust in the force. “As we reach in to tackle those issues, whether it’s stop and search on the streets or the sort of operations you seek, the danger is that it’s landing in an environment with less trust. And that makes it even harder. But the people who win out of that [are] all of the criminals.”
He emphasised his commitment to improving trust and outcomes, stating: “I’m so determined to find a way to get past this. If policing in black communities can find a way to confront these issues, together we can give black boys growing up in London equal life chances to white boys which is not what we’re seeing at the moment.”
Rowley also noted that the problem extends beyond policing, pointing to systemic inequalities in education and the criminal justice system. He cited the higher likelihood of black boys being excluded from school as one example.
Turning to the wider justice system, Rowley described it as “close to broken”, expressing frustration at the so-called “revolving door” of repeat offenders. “When the system hasn’t managed to turn that person’s life around and get them on the straight and narrow … of course that’s frustrating for officers,” he said.
He called for reforms across the justice system and endorsed proposals made by Sir Brian Leveson in a recent report, including the possibility of non-jury trials for certain offences to ease the backlog in the courts.
Rowley cited Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London, where some trials are currently being scheduled for 2029. “If it’s someone on bail … and going in for a criminal court trial that could be four years away … That’s pretty unacceptable, isn’t it?” he said.
His remarks come amid mounting pressure on the Metropolitan Police and the wider criminal justice system to confront racial disparities and restore public confidence, particularly among black Londoners who have long voiced concerns over systemic discrimination and police misconduct.
