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The Casey report on the Metropolitan Police

Considering its importance, I'm a bit surprised that there's been no mention here of Louise Casey's report castigating the Met (though six months or so ago there was a limited discussion of her interim report). Casey herself said in a piece for the Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-have-been-appalled-by-what-i-found-it-is-deeply-disturbing-2nzlnk7gn) that what she had seem was "a deeply disturbing picture. I have found a police force that is failing women and children; that has withdrawn from the front line; that is institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic; and that is unable to police itself from the very worst wrongdoing."The Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, says he accepts the report and will try to, implement the necessary changes (good luck with that), but confidence that he really will be able to do so is knocked rather by his comment on the findings of the institutional nature of the Met's racism, sexism and homophobic attitudes (and misogyny should really have been added to this list of shame). He prefers the term 'systemic', but that is just feeble quibbling, and makes you wonder whether he still hasn't got it.Personally, I think the first thing that should be done is to break the whole thing up and to make a fresh start, based around the maneen good officers who are undoubtedly there, but it's a huge, well-nigh impossible task.

Richard Carter ● 1048d23 Comments

Whatever you think about PCC's, the excerpt gives an indication of the scale and structure when compared with other forces.The report makes clear that there is insufficient management within the BCU's, with the ratios for the lower ranks being too large:"Sergeants and Inspectors with inadequate training and heavy workloads found themselves responsible for a lot of HR issues. They are overwhelmed with people work, and are not doing it very effectively due to a lack of guidance and confidence." I for one expected the opposite, but yes "Whoopey do!".

Ed Robinson ● 1047d

An elected Police & Crime Commissioner! Whoopey do! That would sort things. Not! The introduction of PCC's was one of the Tory Party's most stupid ideas (nearly as stupid as the referendum).

Michael Winstanley ● 1047d

The full report link is below.There are some interesting details. Looking at chapter 10: SW BCU (Kingston, Merton, Richmond & Wandsworth) has 1,568 full time officers."If a BCU were a county force, it would have its own Chief Constable and an elected Police and Crime Commissioner acting on behalf of that county’s population. In contrast, each BCU is headed by a Chief Superintendent. As we have discussed elsewhere in this report, they do not have full authority over their patch, with New Scotland Yard running BCUs almost as satellites in the name of panLondon consistency. "https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/bcr/baroness-casey-review/

Ed Robinson ● 1047d

On top of that, there are conflicting requirements of our police at the moment, either as a ‘service’ that works with the public to keep us safe and look after us, or as a ‘force’ that’s an arm of the state and exercises its power to stifle protest and dissent.  It can’t be easy for one organisation and the people who work for it carry to out both functions effectively.

Peter Evans ● 1047d

‘It must be awful for the good and genuine ones to have to work with the others..’. But the problem seems to be that, over many years, ‘the good and the genuine’, from rank and file to senior level, just haven’t done enough to call out, report, discipline and stop the appalling behaviour that’s clearly been happening in their presence.

Peter Evans ● 1047d

I'm quite sure there are many good police officers - including the East Putney Safer Neighbourhoods team - but there seem to be so many who are not, including those who are actually dangerous, and it's horrifying and depressing.  It must be awful for the good and genuine ones to have to work with the others, and probably suffer from their colleagues' racist, sexist, homophobic, macho culture.  But nothing much has been done to right the balance since the tragic death of Stephen Lawrence, all those long years ago, when the police reaction was so unimpressive, and not even when a serving police officer in uniform raped and murdered Sarah Everard.  What does it take?

Judy Allen ● 1047d

The Met have had a toxic culture for many years. There may be good officers there too and i feel for them, but the culture has lead to those who are good but do nothing enabling those who who do bad. Role modelling from the top down should, in good cultures, have meant that much of what has happened could have been avoided.

Maxine Campbell ● 1047d

Over the years I have had considerable professional involvement with the police and in my view it is quite wrong, as appears now to be that case, to denigrate wholesale members of the constabulary many of whom I know to be decent upright people and who are in the force for the right reasons. Over the years our police have served us well and often in trying circumstances too.

Clifford Cowell ● 1047d

Richard I'm surprised you're surprised LOL

Maxine Campbell ● 1047d

I don't think this misuse of the PNC is an isolated case, I'm think there's been a number from various police services around the UK.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-65031368

Michael Ixer ● 1047d

Sir Robert Mark:- "a good police force is one that catches more crooks than it employs".

David Ainsworth ● 1047d

Is it just the Met which has a problem? I find that rather difficult to believe. But if so, it would be relatively easy to solve - just make the Met like police forces outside London. I don't buy that though. There is movement between the Met and other forces, including of senior officers. You would have thought some of them would have noticed the difference. It's much more likely that other forces have the same issues. Casey's work should be extended to look at that.Then the blame falls not just on all London Mayor's and Chief Constables back even before Stephen Lawrence. It falls squarely on the Home Office - who seem to make a balls-up of everything they touch. Then in the frame we have Braverman, Patel, Shapps, Javid, Rudd and for 6 years, Theresa May. Johnson (Alan), Reid, Blunkett, Clarke, Michael Howard - all equally to blame.

Michael Winstanley ● 1047d

RichardNot sure we can dismiss any blame on Khan. Whilst the historical position maybe correct what has he done in his 2 terms to correct the situation? He should be looking forward in his role as controller of the Met his police and crime plan should include his solution. What's he doing about the explosion of knife crime on his watch? You may defer to the Home Secretary but its the Mayor who is responsible for day to day governance.

Andy Pike ● 1047d

"only a tiny proportion of crime is actually solved by police officers. In 2021, for example, 19 out of every 20 burglaries and violent offences went unsolved in England and Wales, as did 98.7% of rapes. In four out of 10 cases closed, a suspect hadn’t even been identified. In the vast majority of cases, crime is simply not something dealt with by the police.""If you have a mobile phone or a bike stolen, the police will almost certainly not bother to investigate: you are contacting them for a crime reference for insurance purposes. Why are the police, rather than a specific agency, charged with this task?"https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/23/met-police-uk-radical-alternatives-policing

David Ainsworth ● 1048d

"There is the answer get the politicians out of the picture"We need more accountability from politicians not less. But it is clear the current politicians have failed, there will be party political excuses no doubt.It looks like we are going to have another couple of years without the restructure that is needed.How are they going to retain good officers during this wait and see period?People will move to other forces, retire, perhaps even seek other occupations.There also needs to be more transparency around cost and that will never happen under the current structure. That said we may have to pay more but better that than paying through high crime.

Ed Robinson ● 1048d

Yes, I wasn't entirely surprised either, but the extent of the revelations in Casey's report is shocking.On your point about some members of the Met being reasonable and competent, that's so right: there are very good people working there. When some years ago we had to deal with a family tragedy (caused by a heedless driver), we were superbly supported by the road traffic branch who couldn't have done better, both in investigating the circumstances and providing emotional support.On another issue, I do wonder if the police, because of its very nature as a necessarily authoritarian organisation, tend to attract exactly the wrong kind of people, as we've seen in the two recent appalling cases. I'm thinking particularly of the psychologist Norman Dixon, who wrote a well-regarded book some years ago in which he advanced a parallel argument that the military, again because of their nature, tended to attract exactly the wrong kind of officers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Psychology_of_Military_Incompetence

Richard Carter ● 1048d

Andy, it's wrong to blame Sadiq for the problems of the Met, which back a very long way: 20-odd years to the Stephen Lawrence murder, to Robert Mark, Commissioner in the 1970s, when he remarked that he was shocked when he took up the job to find so much corruption and bad practice, and much further back than that.

Richard Carter ● 1048d

Awaiting Khans comments on howcbad the met has been under his leadership.Oh sorry he,ll blame govt and say it's nothing to do with himAlso awaiting Suellas comments an she will no doubt blame Kham.There is the answer get the politicians out of the picture.

Andy Pike ● 1048d

Richard,  I suppose I wasn't entirely surprised. It does seem that these attitudes are ingrained in the institution which seems to need a complete change of structure and culture to fix it, which suggests it does need to be split into separate units for different responsibilities. Systemic problems would imply o me that changes could be made by modifying and improving internal systems; the problems highlighted by the report seem more fundamental with respect to management and organisational attitudes? Although obviously some systems such as the vetting procedure aren't working; I think the FCA might shut down a financial services company if their staff vetting was that poor!Having said that I've dealt with some members of the Met who seem reasonable and competent so I suspect it's not all bad? Probably sensible if politicians of all parties work together on this one? It going to be difficult to fix something this fundamental while still keeping operations going. One wonders how many police will be dismissed after revetting takes place? Will training have to be redone for others ... not an easy one ...

Michael Ixer ● 1048d

Front page of forum.

Barbara Stevens ● 1048d

"I accept full responsibility,' says London's mayor before saying it's a national issue.Unlike other police authorities there is shared responsibility. The Home Secretary and the Mayor will take the credit for anything good and shift the blame for anything bad.Time was wasted by pushing out the previous Met Commissioner, shortly after agreeing to her extension, & then arguing about her compensation. Clearly the Mayor did not have a plan after 6 or 7 years. Now the suggestion is to wait for even more time.The police should not be used as a political football. We should expect our politicians to have plans regardless of the findings in this report. The days of just a tweak here and here are long gone.Is the Mayor the right person to implement the necessary changes? It doesn't appear so given his current performance. If he was he would call for local policing to be solely under himself now!https://news.sky.com/video/i-accept-full-responsibility-says-londons-mayor-as-damning-report-into-metropolitan-police-is-published-12839313#

Ed Robinson ● 1048d

"the findings of the institutional nature of the Met's racism, sexism and homophobic attitudes"Well, remember they must ensure "the make up of the police service reflects all sections of society".All sections?

David Ainsworth ● 1048d

Maybe we're all burying our heads in the sand.  It's horribly unsurprising but so overwhelmingly awful that despair seems the only possible response.

Judy Allen ● 1048d