Stephen Lawrence Day

Stephen Lawrence was an innocent teenager and his brutal death on April 22, 1993, sent shockwaves around the world.

The way his case was handled by the police back then was appalling.

The Macpherson Report uncovered a network of corruption that led to major changes in policing throughout the UK.

It was a catalyst that brought to light the wider institutionalised racism, sexism and homophobia throughout our public services.

Because of Stephen policing, and all of our public services, have come a long way since then.

But we know we have more work to do.

Moving forward, we must rebuild trust with our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities, and reassure them that anyone dealing with the police in Gwent will be treated equally, fairly and with respect.

We must make it clear that hate, in any form, will not be tolerated here.

I am confident that, together with Chief Constable Kelly and her team at Gwent Police, we are driving a culture change that puts the voices of our communities at the heart of our processes, our policies and our decision making.

We are already working with Wales’s four police forces, and our public sector partners to make improvements within our own organisations, and in our communities. In June I will take over as chair of Policing in Wales and tackling inequality and discrimination as a Wales-wide level will be a priority for me.

But we will never be complacent and will continue to work to ensure that all of our residents, and our employees, feel confident that their police force will treat them fairly, and that they are able to live their lives free from discrimination or hatred.

We must remember that we are better together, and that by learning the lessons of the past, we will create a better future.