London’s Metropolitan Police is a breeding ground for racism, sexism and homophobia and has allowed predatory behavior by officers to flourish through a longstanding culture of denial, a landmark report found.
(Bloomberg) — London’s Metropolitan Police is a breeding ground for racism, sexism and homophobia and has allowed predatory behavior by officers to flourish through a longstanding culture of denial, a landmark report found.
The problems have become “institutional,” according to the damning report on Tuesday by Louise Casey, a former government adviser who now sits as a cross-bench member of the House of Lords. She said misconduct allegations against Met officers take far too long to investigate and 55%-60% result in no action — leading to deep mistrust in the force.
The review crystallizes the extent of the failings within the UK capital’s police force, and raises the prospect that it may have to be broken up. Public confidence in the Met’s ability to do a good job for London fell to a low of 36% in March 2022 from a high point of 74% in June 2017, the report found.
Significantly, it said the Met had become “unanchored from the principles of policing by consent” — the fundamental British model under which the police acts with the respect and approval of the public. In a separate briefing, Met Commissioner Mark Rowley apologized and said: “This report is vivid and it’s painful reading for proud police officers.”
The yearlong independent review was commissioned by the force after the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, by serving police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021.
‘Lost Its Way’
Casey’s review found that women and children were at “greater risk than necessary” due to severe reductions in support for the Met’s public protection teams in recent years amid budget cuts.
Forensic fridges and freezers in police stations containing samples from rape victims were “over-stuffed, dilapidated or broken,” with all the evidence in one freezer destroyed last summer after it broke down, the report said. Casey told reporters in a briefing that this was “symbolic of an organization that has lost its way.”
Serial Rapist London Cop Sentenced to Life in Prison
Everard’s murder, along with a series of other high-profile incidents, prompted a torrent of outrage toward the Met Police as public trust in the force plummeted.
Last month, former Met officer David Carrick was sentenced to 36 life terms in jail for sexual offenses against 12 women over almost two decades. All his crimes took place while he was a serving officer, and multiple complaints were made against him during that time.
‘Fundamental change’
Other scandals include the jailing of two Met officers in 2021 for taking and sharing photos of two murdered women, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. And in 2022, a probe into the behavior of officers at a central London police station uncovered disturbing WhatsApp chats filled with racist and misogynistic comments.
A “complete overhaul” of the force is required to restore public trust and “earn back consent” from women, Black communities and the rest of London, the report said. If sufficient progress is not made in the next two years, the Met should face the “radical” option of being broken up into national, specialist and London responsibilities, it said.
“It is absolutely vital that the Metropolitan Police wake up today to the findings in this review,” Casey said. “They are very grave and very serious. There must be, now, fundamental change.”
Pressed on whether she believed there were more “predators” serving within the Met Police, she said: “I can’t assure you that is not the case.”
‘Dark Corner’
Both Couzens and Carrick were part of the force’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command — which consists of almost 1,000 officers who protect the Palace of Westminster, Downing Street and embassies. The review described the unit as a “dark corner of the Met where poor behaviors can easily flourish,” and recommended “effectively disbanding” it to root out unacceptable behavior.
The review also hit out at the Specialist Firearms Command, known as MO19, where it found a culture of entitlement and “sexism in plain sight.”
London Police Chief Warns of a Surge in Sexual Violence Cases
Rowley said that while he did not recognize that the force was “institutionally” racist, sexist and homophobic, he understood the report’s significance and the “scale of reforms required.” He vowed to do “everything humanly possible” to implement Casey’s recommendations.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.