Monday, October 17, 2022
A major culture problem
A report by Louise Casey has exposed the culture problem facing the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, highlighting massive failings in how Britain’s biggest force roots out wrongdoing, including “systemic” racism and misogyny.
As the Guardian reports, Casey found that metropolitan police officers suspected of serious criminal offences including sexual assault and domestic abuse have been allowed to escape justice, while the force’s leader has admitted that hundreds of racist, women-hating and corrupt officers have been left in the ranks.
They add that the report found that one officer faced eleven claims including sexual assault, harassment and domestic abuse, but remains in the force:
The new Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said he may still not have the power to remove him, and will ask the government for the power to reopen past cases.
Rowley said he was appalled by the findings and apologised to officers and members of the public who had been let down, and said the number of officers and staff being sacked each year, between 30 and 50, was “massively under-engineered”, and he estimated there are hundreds of officers in the Met who should be kicked out of the force.
“You have to come to the conclusion there must be hundreds of people that shouldn’t be here, who should be thrown out,” Rowley said. “There must be hundreds who are behaving disgracefully, undermining our integrity and need ejecting.”
Lady Casey was commissioned by the Met in the wake of the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer. This was her interim report purely focusing on the Met discipline system, and complaints from officers and staff about their colleagues.
It reveals Met officers and staff trying to fight toxic colleagues were betrayed by the force’s discipline system, and fear an “anything goes” culture.
The findings are among the worst faced by any police force and Rowley said he felt shame and anger reading the report, and conversations with female and ethnic minority staff about their experiences had left him in tears. He added the report showed the Met had been “too weak” facing down wrongdoing in the ranks.
Black officers were 81% more likely to face disciplinary action and new ethnic recruits were over 120% more likely to be fired than white counterparts, who were in effect shielded by a system that was broken.
Worse may be to come, with Casey’s full report due next year as is another report ordered by the government, and with other major scandals likely to become public.
The report shows officers and staff being fobbed off when they complain of wrongdoing, and reluctant to do so because they fear nothing will be done or reprisals – and Casey said they are right to feel so.
Casey said: “There are moments when I have looked at the cases with people I’ve listened to and I have wondered what exactly would constitute gross misconduct in order to get them out of the force.”
Casey looked at data and cases from 2013 onwards and among her findings were:
* About 55% to 60% of allegations made by Met officers, staff or their families receive a no case to answer decision, higher than in other forces.
* For discrimination allegations less than three in 10 are upheld, the same for sexual assault and sexual harassment claims against colleagues. Casey said: “This leaves many officers and staff in the Met to conclude that discriminatory behaviour is in fact not a breach of professional standards and adds to the sense that ‘anything goes’.”
* Supervisors are putting officers and staff off from raising concerns.
* Since 2013, 1,809 officers and staff had more than one allegation against them and only 13 (0.71%) had been dismissed.
* Many misconduct cases are dealt with by overstretched local units without proper training.
* Local surveys of officers in 2021 found between 22% to 47% had experienced unwanted sexual advances or touching, sexism and misogyny.
As the paper says there are more revelations to come, but what we know already does not engender much confidence in the way the Met has been run.
As the Guardian reports, Casey found that metropolitan police officers suspected of serious criminal offences including sexual assault and domestic abuse have been allowed to escape justice, while the force’s leader has admitted that hundreds of racist, women-hating and corrupt officers have been left in the ranks.
They add that the report found that one officer faced eleven claims including sexual assault, harassment and domestic abuse, but remains in the force:
The new Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said he may still not have the power to remove him, and will ask the government for the power to reopen past cases.
Rowley said he was appalled by the findings and apologised to officers and members of the public who had been let down, and said the number of officers and staff being sacked each year, between 30 and 50, was “massively under-engineered”, and he estimated there are hundreds of officers in the Met who should be kicked out of the force.
“You have to come to the conclusion there must be hundreds of people that shouldn’t be here, who should be thrown out,” Rowley said. “There must be hundreds who are behaving disgracefully, undermining our integrity and need ejecting.”
Lady Casey was commissioned by the Met in the wake of the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer. This was her interim report purely focusing on the Met discipline system, and complaints from officers and staff about their colleagues.
It reveals Met officers and staff trying to fight toxic colleagues were betrayed by the force’s discipline system, and fear an “anything goes” culture.
The findings are among the worst faced by any police force and Rowley said he felt shame and anger reading the report, and conversations with female and ethnic minority staff about their experiences had left him in tears. He added the report showed the Met had been “too weak” facing down wrongdoing in the ranks.
Black officers were 81% more likely to face disciplinary action and new ethnic recruits were over 120% more likely to be fired than white counterparts, who were in effect shielded by a system that was broken.
Worse may be to come, with Casey’s full report due next year as is another report ordered by the government, and with other major scandals likely to become public.
The report shows officers and staff being fobbed off when they complain of wrongdoing, and reluctant to do so because they fear nothing will be done or reprisals – and Casey said they are right to feel so.
Casey said: “There are moments when I have looked at the cases with people I’ve listened to and I have wondered what exactly would constitute gross misconduct in order to get them out of the force.”
Casey looked at data and cases from 2013 onwards and among her findings were:
* About 55% to 60% of allegations made by Met officers, staff or their families receive a no case to answer decision, higher than in other forces.
* For discrimination allegations less than three in 10 are upheld, the same for sexual assault and sexual harassment claims against colleagues. Casey said: “This leaves many officers and staff in the Met to conclude that discriminatory behaviour is in fact not a breach of professional standards and adds to the sense that ‘anything goes’.”
* Supervisors are putting officers and staff off from raising concerns.
* Since 2013, 1,809 officers and staff had more than one allegation against them and only 13 (0.71%) had been dismissed.
* Many misconduct cases are dealt with by overstretched local units without proper training.
* Local surveys of officers in 2021 found between 22% to 47% had experienced unwanted sexual advances or touching, sexism and misogyny.
As the paper says there are more revelations to come, but what we know already does not engender much confidence in the way the Met has been run.
