Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop
How can we improve relationships between the police and Britain's minority ethnic communities? What can we change to create a more equitable and fair criminal justice system?
Dr Leroy Logan MBE, former superintendent in the Metropolitan police, spoke to these questions and more at the Intellectual Forum on 10 May.
He discussed his life, his work, and his book, Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop, in a powerfully personal account, and shared his thoughts on the future of policing and what could be done to improve matters.
Alongside Leroy's talk, the Intellectual Forum trialled Qcast, a new social media channel where users can record video questions or responses to questions around events, generating and participating in discussion. To join in, you can download Qcast for free from the Apple store or download Qcast for Android from this link.
A recording of the event is available on the College's YouTube channel.
About the speaker
Described by The Guardian as “the man who risked everything to fight racism in the police force – from within”, Dr Leroy Logan MBE is a former superintendent in the Metropolitan police. He retired in 2013 after 30 years exemplary service.
Born in London in 1957 to Jamaican parents, Leroy is an advocate for good relationships between the police and Britain's minority ethnic communities, a mentor to young people, and an advisor on knife crime.
Leroy is one of UK’s most highly decorated and well-known black police officers. A highly respected and well-regarded commentator on policing in black communities, he believes that there is still much work to do in creating a more equitable and fair criminal justice system.
Since his retirement, Leroy has built a reputation as a go-to person expert, using his decades of experience to give insightful, critical analysis on current events surrounding our justice system. He’s been called upon by the likes of Channel 4, Good Morning Britain, The Guardian, LBC, BBC Radio 4, HARDTalk, and more.
About the book
Closing Ranks is a history lesson in race relations in modern-day Britain, and a manifesto for anyone with a desire to mentor young people. Throughout, Leroy's passion for good policing shines through, as does his concern to guide and empower young people. Underpinning all is his strong Christian faith, which helped him persevere in a frequently hostile work environment - and in the process, encourage other black officers to stay on and help change the culture within the police.
