Reform UK Birmingham Councillors Demand Answers on Broad Street Assault and Urge End to Race-Based Policing.

We are writing following the incident on Broad Street, Birmingham city centre, footage of which has circulated widely online. The footage appears to show a white man being assaulted by a group of people who appear to be from ethnic-minority backgrounds, with police officers intervening against him while those apparently involved in the assault are able to leave the scene.

The public deserve a full explanation of what happened, why the apparent victim was arrested, and whether every person involved will now be identified and investigated. I recognise that short footage cannot show every aspect of an incident. That makes it even more important that the public receive a clear account based on the full available evidence.

Please confirm:

1. Whether all relevant body-worn video, CCTV, radio logs, incident records and custody records have been secured and are being reviewed.
2. Whether every person involved in the apparent assault has now been identified, arrested or is being actively sought.
3. Why the apparent victim was arrested while others were able to leave, and what information officers had at the time to justify those decisions.
4. Whether the incident will receive independent scrutiny, including the operational response, supervision and decision-making at the scene; and whether relevant footage and a fuller factual account will be published when legally possible.

This incident also raises wider concerns about the force’s Race Action Plan and the training and guidance given to officers. Reform believes these plans have created a culture in which officers are encouraged to see people differently because of race, with the effect of undermining confidence that white victims and suspects will be treated fairly.

Police officers must be able to act decisively on the evidence before them. They must not be trained, managed or assessed through different racial standards, or fear that straightforward enforcement will be judged through a political or racial lens.

Please also confirm:

5. What Race Action Plan training, guidance, performance measures or operational expectations currently apply to officers and supervisors.
6. Whether any of these could lead officers to apply different thresholds for intervention, safeguarding, arrest, use of force or enforcement according to race.
7. What independent evidence the force holds that the Race Action Plan has improved fairness, victim protection and public confidence for all communities, including white residents.
8. Whether you will commission a review of the Race Action Plan and associated training, with a view to ending any framework that treats people differently because of race.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, you are now appointing a new Chief Constable following the departure of the previous head of the force after the Maccabi Tel Aviv fiasco. This is an opportunity to reset West Midlands Police.

The next Chief Constable must put public safety, operational independence and equal treatment under the law first — not race-based policing. Please confirm whether candidates will be required to demonstrate a commitment to one law, one standard of policing and equal protection for everyone in the West Midlands.

We would be grateful for a substantive response.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Jex Parkin
Leader of the Opposition
Reform UK Member for Kingstanding
Birmingham City Council

Cllr Dr Charlie Latchford
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Reform UK Member for Longbridge & West Heath
Birmingham City Council