Mum of murdered sisters Nicole and Bibaa calls for more black Met officers

Mina Smallman speaking at the launch of the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA)

The mother of murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry has called for more black officers to be deployed by the Metropolitan Police in London.

Mina Smallman, whose daughters were stabbed to death in a park in in Wembley in June 2020, as Bibaa celebrated her birthday, has been campaigning to change the racism and sexism within the force.

A retired Anglican priest, she was thrust into the public eye for criticising the Met for failings in the case.

Speaking at the launch of the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA), a group of bodies fighting racism and misogyny within the police, she stresses that the only people ‘denying institutional racism are the perpetrators’.

Her words hit hard as they were directed at Met’s commissioner Sir Mark Rowley who is yet to admit the force is ‘institutionally racist’.

Ms Smallman stressed action rather than words was needed to signify progress.

‘I think they need to welcome police officers of colour into that work that they are doing, because they know the communities and grew up with them,’ she told the launch in London.

‘The police have to stop thinking their main task is to cover up misdemeanours.

Bibaa and Nicole celebrating in the park in Wembley hours before the fatal attack (Picture: PA)

Images of victims of male violence are pictured outside New Scotland Yard during a vigil (Picture: Getty)

‘We know that there is a problem, let us work with you and let us in.’

When Nicole and Bibaa were murdered three years ago, it was two police officers who took and shared shared pictures of their bodies on WhatsApp.

Deniz Jaffer, 47, and Jamie Lewis, 33, who had been ordered to guard the murder scene, were each jailed for two years and nine months for their crimes.

Ms Smallman said it was a ‘huge disappointment’ that Sir Mark refused to accept ‘institutional racism’ in the force.

Mina Smallman speaking outside the Old Bailey in London after Danyal Hussein was found guilty of killing her daughters (Picture: PA)

This comes just months after a report, led by Baroness Louise Casey, concluded the Met is crawling with racism, sexism and homophobia.

Asked about Nicole and Bibaa’s mother’s comments, Sir Mark said: ‘I completely understand Mina’s view. I have not shirked away from anything that Baroness Casey has said.

‘I completely accept her diagnosis and that’s why we’re on a big reform plan.’

On Monday, the Met announced plans to overhaul the force with a £366 million two-year scheme, dubbed A New Met for London.

It includes a recruitment campaign which Sir Mark says is encouraging diversity through advertisements that showcase ordinary frontline officers.

Sir Mark said: ‘The adverts people will see are ordinary frontline officers, some of our fantastic men and women and what they show is, this is a job with a real purpose, where you can make a massive difference to communities.

‘They’re showing how much they enjoy the job and that will attract others in and what people will see is that we are an increasingly diverse organisation.’

According to Met figures from the end of May, 17.2% of its full time police officers are black, Asian or mixed ethnic heritage, whilst 30.7% of the Met’s police officers are female.

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‘The police have to stop thinking their main task is to cover up misdemeanours.’