Today two of Stephen Lawrence's murderers were sentenced. Met police chiefs have been out in a public relations frenzy to paint themselves as finally having overcome the 'institutional racism' that the Macpherson inquiry found them guilty of. But recent news of racist coppers who would have been sacked in any other job keeping their jobs suggests otherwise.

The Northampton Chronicle reported that a Northants police officer was found guilty of gross misconduct after sending racist and sexist texts to other officers was still in his job. And at the end of last month a Leicestershire officer who called "foreigners" "scum" on his Facebook page got to keep his job whilst being investigated. The responses of their forces to these officers' racist behaviour suggests that they do not consider it gross misconduct at all, but worthy only of a slap on the rest. They certainly do not seem to think that racist attitudes are a problem whilst on the beat.

There are, of course, much more serious incidents like the alleged attack on Khurum Ali Khan by West Midlands police in November, the mysterious death of Smiley Culture whilst police raided his home, not to mention the police and IPCC cover up around the killing of Mark Duggan. Over Christmas, the family of Indian student Anuj Bidve, who was shot in Manchester, complained bitterly about the way the Greater Manchester Police had dealt with his murder. His brother-in-law said "[The UK authorities and police] have to help us to believe again that Britain is not a racist place."

Inquest, an organisation investigating deaths in police custody has said that "a disproportionate number of Black people and those from minority ethnic communities have died as a result of excessive force, restraint or serious medical neglect. We believe this is indicative of institutional racism in the criminal justice system." IPCC reports reveal that despite 333 deaths in police custody between 2000-2010, no officer has ever been successfully prosecuted in relation to those deaths. The families of many of these people hold an annual march for justice to Downing Street and this year their peaceful protest was attacked by police.

No justice. No peace.