Stephen Lawrence Day

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack on 22 April 1993. It took 18 years for two of his killers to be convicted.

Because of Stephen, institutional racism within the police was brought into the spotlight, sparking one of the most important moments in British criminal justice.

Join us on Stephen Lawrence Day to learn about the impact his story has had on policing so far and have your questions answered by our panel of experts.

Keynote speakers

Dr Derrick Campbell, Regional Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Commissioner

Derrick is a consultant who has worked in the community for over 30 years. He has worked with young people to move them from crime to education; organisations to improve their culture, environment and effectiveness, inc. organisational design. He has worked both nationally and internationally and influenced change in national policy on youth affairs, EDI, social engagement and regulation.

Sir David Thompson, Chief Constable, West Midlands Police

Sir David has been the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police since 2016. Before this, he joined the force as Deputy Chief Constable in 2010. In his current role, Sir David sets our direction alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner’s plan. He wants to create a modern police service that prevents crime, protects people and helps those in need.

Alongside his role as Chief Constable, he's also a Chair of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Security Board, Vice Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Director of BlueLight Commercial Ltd.

Before joining West Midlands Police, Sir David worked for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) for 20 years. He has a degree in Law from the University of Liverpool.

Panellists will include the keynote speakers and:

Paul Giannasi OBE, Hate Crime Advisor, National Police Chiefs' Council

Paul works for the National Police Chiefs’ Council in the United Kingdom having accrued 30 years experience as a police officer. He advises on hate crime policy and responses and manages True Vision (www.report-it.org.uk) on behalf of the police. He is the co-author of the national Police Hate Crime Guidance which offers advice to all UK police officers and partners.

Jane Sawyers QPM DL, Associate Professor of Policing Practice, School of Law, Policing and Forensics

Jane joined Staffordshire police as a constable in 1984 and served in every rank in the force, retiring as the chief constable in 2017. She worked all over Staffordshire in a variety of roles including uniformed operations, drugs investigation and professional standards. As a senior officer she led the force response to many high-profile operations including the national disorder in 2011, the London Olympics in 2012 and a number of terrorist incidents. Whilst serving as a police officer she gained a master’s degree in applied criminology and police management from the University of Cambridge. In June 2017 she was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for her outstanding contribution to policing.

Dionne Johnson  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Staffordshire Police  

Dionne is the Vice President of the National Black Police Association and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Staffordshire Police. She has always had the motivation and desire to help others who feel disempowered and moved into her current role in 2015. Having experienced discrimination throughout her life, Dionne is passionate about supporting BAME officers, staff and communities, and raising awareness of issues and topics that affect them. 

Genelle Aldred, Writer and Presenter

Genelle runs GA\C a communications consultancy helping people, brands and organisations to be strategic with their communications. Her first book about Communication and Social Justice will be published in the summer of 2021. She is a regular contributor on news outlets. Genelle is an Ambassador for SANDS and is on the Executive Committee for Women in Journalism. She is also a former newsreader and journalist for BBC, ITN and ITV.

Questions

You will be able to submit questions to the speakers through the event, please note all questions will be moderated in advance of being published. Due to high volumes received on previous events, we cannot guarantee your question will be answered.

Joining the event

This is an online event. We will send joining instructions prior to the event to the email address that you register with.

Event recording

This event will be recorded and uploaded to our Events pages within in a week.

Accessibility

If you have any access requirements, please email the Events Team at comms@staffs.ac.uk

Register now