Your editorial (The Guardian view on race and the Met: making matters worse, 22 October) never comes close to identifying proper strategies for tackling institutional racism.
Last Friday morning, the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, travelled to Croydon to speak with a group of (socially distanced) community influencers, social entrepreneurs and young people who have been working since the death of George Floyd in the US to build bridges between black communities and the police.
Never once denying the mistakes her force has made, she listened to people’s experiences of the police, asked for advice on how the progress that has been made can be stepped up and challenged us to carry on being part of a long-term solution. She offered no platitudes or quick fixes, instead she promised to listen and learn from a conversation that is transforming policing in Croydon.
No one doubted the strength of her conviction, so how about a little less posturing and a bit more debate on how policing in the community can be made to work?
Steve Phaure
Croydon, Greater London
