Racist assaults against London’s police officers doubled in one year

City Hall Tories accused Sadiq Khan today of failing to keep London’s black and minority ethnic police officers safe after new figures revealed racist assaults against cops nearly doubled last year.

According to figures obtained by London-wide Assembly Member Susan Hall, there were 1217 racist assaults against London’s police officers between December 2019 and November 2020. This is more than a 90 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.

The data reveals that racist attacks against officers spiked during the Black Lives Matter protests in the capital last year. There were 494 incidents between June and August 2020 compared to 206 the three months prior to the BLM protests.

Susan Hall AM, Leader of the GLA Conservatives, commented: “London’s brave police officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our city safe. It’s the Mayor’s job to protect them – sadly, these figures show he’s failed to do so. “I am disgusted but not surprised that racist assaults against police officers spiked during the Black Lives Matter protests. Many officers reported that a few violent protestors were targeting their black colleagues at the demonstrations.

“Sadiq Khan must learn from last year’s protests. He cannot continue to pander to protests and turn a blind eye to criminality. His appalling handling of last year’s demonstrations saw monuments desecrated, racist assaults against officers and, no doubt, undermined efforts to control coronavirus.

“As we look to recruit more black and minority ethnic officers, the Mayor must keep them safe from these vile attacks. It’s vital the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police urgently review their measures to keep these officers safe.”