Concerns have been raised over the impartiality of police forces in England and Wales amid reports that staff networks—organisations representing officers based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, disability, religion, and sexual orientation—are exceeding their original purpose and seeking to influence policy. A recent report by Policy Exchange, a conservative think tank, highlights the National Association of Muslim Police (Namp) as a central example, noting its membership exceeds 2,000 and its affiliation spans as many as 19 police forces.
The report, titled “Mixed messages? Police Impartiality and the National Association of Muslim Police,” underscores that at least 20 police forces maintain local Muslim police associations, although the names of these groups vary. It argues that some of these networks have provided platforms to controversial figures and focused discussions more on moral perspectives than on legal matters. The report also notes that the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel intensified the way police forces manage politically and religiously sensitive issues.
A key point of contention cited in the report relates to a policy paper published by Namp in July 2025, which described Zionism as “one of the manifestations of anti-Muslim hatred” and labeled the Israel Defence Forces as among “Zionist terrorist groups.” This characterization prompted criticism from the Jewish Leadership Council, which described parts of the paper as “grossly offensive” and said they raised serious concerns about police impartiality. Namp subsequently removed the document from its website and stated that it did not reflect the organisation’s official views.
The report also scrutinizes the approaches of West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police, suggesting these forces have had a flawed response to managing relationships with Namp and local Muslim staff associations. For example, it references a senior West Midlands officer who publicly shared attendance at Friday prayers at Birmingham’s Green Lane mosque—a location later subject to government scrutiny and the suspension of a £2 million grant due to allegations of extremism and hate speech, which the mosque denied. Additionally, West Midlands Police faced public backlash after recommending the ban of Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending a Europa League match in Birmingham in November 2025. A subsequent inspection found that police used exaggerated and inaccurate claims in support of the ban.
In light of these findings, the report calls for government intervention, either through legislation to clarify police impartiality standards or by abolishing staff networks altogether. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, emphasized that staff networks have frequently ventured into ideological, political, or religious territory, which could undermine public trust in the police’s fundamental obligation to act impartially. Chris Donaldson, former Metropolitan Police inspector and founding member of the National Black Police Association, also commented that these networks have strayed far from their intended purpose.
Government representatives stressed that independent staff associations do not represent official government or police views, and their statements do not constitute formal policy. They reiterated the commitment to enforcing the law impartially, without fear or favour, regardless of background or ethnicity. Efforts to obtain comment from Namp were made, but no statement was provided as of publication.