National Black Police Association
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The National Black Police Association (NBPA) is a police support organisation, founded in November 1999, which seeks to improve the working environment of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff in UK police forces, to enhance racial harmony and the quality of service to all communities of the United Kingdom.
Membership of the NBPA is open to all in policing including white people via local BPAs. The NBPA does not have individual membership it is made up by BPAs who each elect a representative to participate at national level on the National Executive Committee (NEC).
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[edit] Black Police Association
The first Black Police Association (BPA) was founded in 1994, as a joint initiative between BME police staff within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
This joint initiative raised concerns about the number of black staff who were leaving police forces throughout the UK. A meeting of BME staff from the MPS, known as the Bristol Seminars, led to the formation of a black support network, which formally became the UK's first Black Police Association in September 1994, launched by the MPS Commissioner Sir Paul Condon.
At the launch, Sir Paul Condon said: "I have made it clear where I stand. I see the formation of this Association as the only way forward."
[edit] National Communication Network
In October 1996, a National Communication Network was formed. This network included BME police staff members throughout the UK, and soon after its formation, members of the network resolved that a national association of BME police staff members should be formed, with the motto "One voice, strength in unity".
In early 1998, four representatives of the National Communication Network met with Home Secretary Jack Straw. Three representatives from the Metropolitan Police BPA, Paul Wilson, Leroy Logan MBE, and Bevan Powell MBE, and Ravi Chand QPM from the Bedfordshire Police BPA. From this initial meeting and other meetings between the Home Office and representatives of the National Communications Network, in November 1998, the first interim executive committee of the National Black Police Association was elected to launch the NBPA. The executive committee had 14 executive members from 12 Constabularies.
