About Us
01
Our Mission
Our mission is to build Black community power and strengthen democratic police accountability through independent community-led scrutiny.
We work to ensure Black communities have the evidence, resources, rights literacy and democratic mandate needed to define, monitor and challenge policing practice. Through Local Black Policing Charters, Local Police Monitoring Groups, Popular Assemblies and national coordination, we support communities to turn lived experience into evidence, evidence into collective priorities, and priorities into accountable reform.
APA exists to move beyond consultation without power. We are building durable Black democratic infrastructure so communities most affected by racial profiling, over-policing, under-protection, disproportionate force and institutional harm can shape the standards by which policing is judged. Our work connects local accountability, civil and human rights, public health, youth leadership, policy influence and community organising to create a fairer, safer and more accountable model of policing.
02
Our Values
- Community
Affected communities must have real democratic power to convene, deliberate, set priorities, elect advocates and ratify local charters.
- Equity
Scrutiny, organising and participation must be properly resourced, and that communities should not be expected to carry the burden of accountability work unpaid.
- Human Rights
Policing must be tested against civil and human rights obligations, with communities equipped to identify, challenge and remedy rights violations.
- Knowledge
Communities must have the information and institutional literacy needed to understand policing systems, data, budgets, accountability structures and decision-making.
- Mobilisation
Communities must be able to act collectively through campaigns, public advocacy, parliamentary engagement, media work and, where necessary, demonstrations.
03
The Alliance
The Team
With a small team of dedicated professionals, we work tirelessly to advance our mission.
The Steering Group
We are guided by experts with combined centuries of experience in policing reform, community organising and racial justice.
Our Funders
Thanks to the generous support of our funders, we are able to carry out our work and make a meaningful impact in communities.
04
Our History
Our history begins in the crisis of police legitimacy that followed the post-George Floyd period, the resignation of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and evidence of racial disproportionality. In 2022, Black community organisations and leaders came together to demand that affected communities have a direct role in shaping police accountability.
From that beginning, APA developed from a policing reform proposal into a national civil society platform. We formally launched in 2023, building the partnerships, evidence base and local charter model needed to turn community experience into democratic scrutiny. In 2024 and 2025, our work expanded through conferences, safeguarding roundtables, Police Race Action Plan scrutiny, convenings and policy development. By 2026, APA had moved into delivery through the Independent Community Oversight Framework and the Birmingham Black Policing Charter, translating years of organising into Black democratic infrastructure for police accountability.