‘Hundreds’ of Met Police officers are homophobic, sexist and racist – and getting away with it
Demonstrators gather outside New Scotland Yard in London during a protest over the killing of Chris Kaba by the Met Police. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
A damning report has found hundreds of members of the Metropolitan Police Service should have been sacked following claims of homophobia, sexual misconduct, misogyny and racism being mishandled.
The interim report of misconduct procedures and culture in the Met has uncovered internal failings that have allowed corrupt officers to remain in post.
Met Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has said the findings showed hundreds of his officers should have been sacked.
In the report, by Baroness Louise Casey, it revealed an example of one officer who faced 11 misconduct notices for allegations involving assault, sexual harassment and fraud.
She has branded the current system as “not fit for purpose” and said the report “has to be a line in the sand moment”.
‘Systemic bias’
Casey was appointed last year after a string of scandals at the met, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens.
The report highlighted misogyny and racial disparity across the force’s internal disciplinary system, with a “systemic bias” against Black and Asian.
According to the report, in 2021-22 Black officers and staff were 81 per cent more likely to than White officers to have misconduct allegations brought against them, while Asian officers were 55% more likely.
Casey states that these numbers showed a “long-standing issue and is clear evidence of systemic bias”.
Further findings showed 1,809 officers, 20 per cent of those facing allegations, had more than one complaint raised against them.
Of this number 500 of the officers faced between three to five separate misconduct cases since 2013.
‘Criminal behaviour’
The reports comes as the Met Police is investigating more than 600 domestic and sexual abuse allegations against its officers, the BBC has been told.
Despite the startling numbers of misconduct Casey has said less than 1 per cent of officers facing multiple allegations had been dismissed from the force.
One officer has continued to serve despite facing multiple serious allegations – including corruption, traffic offences and “failure to safeguard while off duty”.
Baroness Casey said: “We have heard repeatedly from colleagues that they feel and believe, and actually have given us case examples of where people are getting away both with misconduct but also criminal behaviour.”
Rowley admitted between 30 and 50 people are sacked a year for their behaviour, and this was not enough.
“There must be hundreds of people who shouldn’t be here who should have been thrown out,” he said.
‘I am sorry to those we have let down’
In a written response to the report Rowley said he was “appalled by the extent of the findings you expose”.
“You uncover painful experiences from those within out ranks who have suffered discrimination and hate from our colleagues, only to have their hurt compounded by a weak response from the organisation. This cannot continue.”
“I am sorry to those we have let down: both the public and our honest and dedicated officers.”
The report was commissioned following the rape, kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in March last year.
Couzens was handed a whole-life order at the Old Bailey on 30 September 2021.
Everad’s death was met with widespread shock and Couzens misuse of his role has led society to further mistrust the Met.
During the course of the investigation into the 33 year old’s death it was discovered that Couzens had exchanged “discriminatory” messages with other police officers in a WhatsApp group in 2019.
The messages were found to be misogynistic, racist and homophobic in nature, according to the Daily Mail.
Another failing that haunts the LGBTQ+ community is the handling of the Stephen Port case.
Port killed at least four men over the course of 16 months between 2014 and 2015. He targeted his victims, who he drugged, raped, and then killed, after matching with them on queer dating apps such as Grindr.
Met Police officers involved in the Port case were put under investigation after reportedly refusing to answer questions in interviews with the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).
Port was finally sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016 but the police department has been heavily criticised for its alleged malpractice during the initial investigation.
Most recently the Met was hit with renewed criticism after announcing it will compensate the families of three of the four men who were killed by Port, reportedly without first informing them.
