Avoid 'reactive' police reforms after Nowak murder, senior black officer warns

Avoid 'reactive' police reforms after Nowak murder, senior black officer warns6 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleVicky WongGetty ImagesThe head of the National Black Police Association has warned police forces are at risk of making "not well thought-out" changes to anti-racism guidance in light of the murder of Henry Nowak.Andy George, a Police Service of Northern Ireland chief inspector, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a move to re-draft an anti-racism commitment in light of the case was "reactive".His comments came after former Home Secretary Jack Straw told the Telegraph there had been an "over-correction" within policing in light of the 1993 murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.He said "much greater care" was needed with police race guidance, and claimed "vocal pressure groups" had exerted too much influence.The murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak and subsequent police response have prompted accusations of so-called two-tier policing by some politicians.Nowak was arrested by officers as he lay dying after his attacker, 23-year-old Sikh man Vickram Digwa, falsely claimed he had been racially abused by the student.The Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) is investigating the response of officers.The National Police Chiefs' Council is considering rewording an anti-racism commitment which states that ensuring racial equality in policing "does not mean treating everyone 'the same' or being 'colour blind'", after opposition politicians pointed to it as evidence of unequal standards in policing. George said: "There's definitely lessons to be learned from the Henry Nowak case and if the [police watchdog] sees through their thorough investigation that there are things that need to be done and changed – then certainly that's the time when things should be looked at."For us to go forward and for the policing...