BRIG Welcomes Dr Anthony (Abdul Haqq) Baker to Lead Landmark Birmingham Black Policing Charter
BRIG is delighted to welcome Dr Anthony (Abdul Haqq) Baker as Programme Lead for the Birmingham Black Policing Charter. Anthony brings more than three decades of experience spanning research, education, public service and community development. An award-winning academic, internationally recognised thought leader and respected community practitioner, he has built a reputation for bringing people together to tackle some of society's most complex challenges.
His work sits at the intersection of faith, race and socio-economic inequality, combining rigorous research with practical, community-led approaches that strengthen institutions, inform public policy and create opportunities for communities whose voices have too often been overlooked. Throughout his career, Anthony has remained committed to turning ideas into action, working alongside communities and organisations to achieve meaningful and lasting change.
Anthony's appointment comes at an important moment for the Birmingham Black Policing Charter, a landmark partnership between the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) and BRIG, working alongside West Midlands Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands and a growing coalition of community partners.
The Charter represents a unique opportunity for Birmingham's Black communities to help shape what fair, accountable and trusted policing should look like in the city. Through extensive community engagement, it will create a shared framework for strengthening trust, improving accountability and redefining policing by consent through the voices and experiences of those most affected.
As Programme Lead, Anthony will play a central role in guiding the Charter's development, working closely with communities, partners and stakeholders to ensure the process is inclusive, credible and rooted in the lived experiences of Birmingham's Black communities.
Lorna Shaw, BRIG's interim chief executive, said, "We are thrilled to have Anthony leading this important work and look forward to working alongside him as we continue to build a Charter that reflects the aspirations, concerns and ambitions of Birmingham's communities."
Anthony said, "I am honoured to take up this new role in what amounts to a groundbreaking and timely initiative to embed community-focused, as opposed to previous community-targeted, policing. With a young, diverse multicultural mosaic, steeped in history, the significance of the charter being developed in Birmingham should not be understated. The city can lead the way during the current climate of societal change to redefine engagement and accountability between statutory agencies, like the police and our communities."