Police accused of racism over risk assessment at urban gigs

Police risk assessment measures are unfairly targeting black and urban music events, it has been claimed.

An anonymous booking agent told The Guardian that police insisted on searching 18 performers for weapons with an airport-style scanner at a recent live show before they were permitted to go on stage.

"Of course we complied," they said. "We can't afford to rock the boat, but it is definitely racist, it is definitely not fair.

"The problem is that it reverberates through young people, they go to different types of events, they see that at indie events they are not treated like this. It just antagonises them."

They added that promoters feel they have to remain silent on the issue and "toe the line" from fear of greater police attention or fewer bookings.

At the show in question, it was reportedly claimed by the authorities that there was intelligence about one of the artists on the bill.

The Metropolitan Police are empowered to request strict safety measures or even force the cancellation of shows depending on their risk assessment.

Chair of the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons John Whittingdale has called for the abolition of the "discriminatory and completely unnecessary" Form 696, which he claimed "is still being used by the Met to target particular types of music".

Whittingdale had previously called for the axing of the controversial risk assessment form in 2009.

Head of Form 696 team Thomas Bowen claimed that the form was "identifying potential gang conflict" and "undoubtedly contributing towards that reduction of shooting incidents in licensed premises".

However, then Metropolitan Police commissioner Paul Stephenson announced a major review of form 696 the following month.

In September 2009, the form was revised so that "venues would no longer be asked for details of the music style", but ex-Undertones frontman and chief executive of UK Music Feargal Sharkey said that the revision did not go far enough and called for the form to be scrapped entirely

Watch Feargal Sharkey talk to The Publican about Form 696 below:



A spokeswoman told The Guardian: "[Form 696] is intended to identify where an event might be at risk from crime and take steps to prevent it.

"To date shootings linked to licensed premises have been significantly reduced and we believe the risk assessment process has contributed to this."

Watch London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold question then Met commissioner Paul Stephenson on Form 696 in 2009 below: