“Scrap the Gangs Matrix.” A call from young Londoners and criminal justice experts in a new film
In a brand-new film produced by HelpFilm and released by Action for Race Equality on Wednesday 2nd November, criminal justice campaigners and young Black Londoners issue an urgent call to the Metropolitan Police Service to scrap its Gangs Violence Matrix.
The film is based on a series of interviews EQUAL carried out with criminal justice experts Leroy Logan MBE (former Metropolitan Police Superintendent, a founder of the Black Police Association); Lana Adamou (Lawyer at Liberty UK); Katrina Ffrench (Director and Founder of UNJUST CIC); Sammy Odoi (Founder of Wipers CIC), Jeremy Crook OBE (CEO of Action for Race Equality, and some young Black people across London.
It brings together personal and professional views on the emotional, psychological and social toll that the Matrix – and years of ‘over policing’ of Black communities – has had on young Black Londoners.
We want to raise awareness amongst Black communities about the Gangs Matrix, which still remains unknown to so many. We hope the film encourages advocates of young people to find out if the police are holding, sharing and using their information inappropriately, and for police leaders to reform this damaging and discriminatory way of policing young people’s lives”
We would like to say a “huge thank you” to the young people who shaped this work, as well as to HelpFilm and Matthew Murdoch, Filmmaker and Director for their generous support and input into the film.
#ScrapTheMatrix: campaigning for change
Alongside the new film, Action for Race Equality has simultaneously sent a letter to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and the National Police Chiefs Council which has been co-signed by the films’ representatives.
The letter urges five immediate actions needed to mitigate the breakdown of trust and the racial stereotyping inherent in the Matrix and other forms of predictive policing across the country.
