“A Few Bad Apples”? Why That Narrative Protects Power More Than People

“Can you help my executive leadership team understand that systemic racism isn’t just about bad people doing racist things, i.e. bad apples?”

It’s the question I hear the most.

It assumes the problem is one of explanation: if only leaders really understood that systemic racism is not just interpersonal behaviour, not just a handful of rogue managers or employees, then things would change.

But here’s my counter-perspective. In most cases (yes, there are always a few exceptions, but work with me here), the issue is not a lack of understanding.

The real problem is that the “bad apples” story protects the system itself, and we often fail to grasp just how much people are willing to invest in keeping that narrative alive. This article shares how and why.

Full disclosure: it’s a longer thought piece, so grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and settle in. I needed to give this sufficient depth and also give you time to process throughout.

It's one of dem ones where you know when people say it's not that deep? In this instance, my response is nah mate, it is that deep, trust me.

And if this isn’t enough to persuade you to read it, let me try with this:

Instead of asking “How can I get them to understand?” the sharper question is “What does the bad apples narrative make possible for leaders and organisations who keep repeating it…even when they know better?”

30 Patterns of Harm is an independent review by Dr Shereen Daniels, commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Service and recorded on 18 July 2025.

The review examines how the Met’s systems, governance, leadership and culture produce and protect racial harm, and why these patterns persist despite decades of reform efforts. Rather than recounting individual incidents, it focuses on the structural logic — the everyday processes, norms and incentives — that make racial harm a recurring and predictable outcome.

Central to this analysis is the role of anti-Blackness. The report identifies it as the clearest indicator of organisational dysfunction and the sharpest edge of harm within policing. By addressing anti-Blackness directly, the review shows how tackling its causes also helps dismantle the wider systems that enable racial iscrimination against other groups.

This audio recording provides an accessible way to engage with the findings, supporting reflection and helping listeners grasp the depth and intent of the report’s structural approach.

For the full 30 Patterns of Harm report and the accompanying Structural Companion Guide, please visit the Metropolitan Police Service website. Both documents should be read together to fully understand the scale of the challenge and the framework for change.

The Structural Companion Guide was developed by Dr Shereen Daniels to accompany 30 Patterns of Harm, an independent review commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Service and published on 18 July 2025.

While 30 Patterns of Harm diagnoses the institutional logics that reproduce racial harm, the Companion Guide provides the scaffolding for what to do next. It sets out the principles, disciplines and structural foundations required to turn insight into practice – helping leaders understand how to rebuild systems that protect people rather than institutions.

The guide is not a checklist or toolkit. It is a framework for reflection, accountability and redesign. It invites the Met to move beyond activity, to align intent with impact, and to create conditions in which anti-racism is embedded within governance, decision-making and everyday leadership practice.

For the full 30 Patterns of Harm report and the Structural Companion Guide, please visit the Metropolitan Police Service website. Both documents should be read together for a complete understanding of the analysis and the route toward meaningful change.