“Damning”: Seven key findings from the Casey Review of the Met Police
The Met Police has been slammed as “institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynist” in a report triggered by the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.
Louise Casey said the Met Police needed a “complete overhaul” to restore public trust and confidence.
Here are the ten things you need to know:
The Met is “institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic”
Widespread bullying is commonplace amongst staff and officers from BAME or LGBT+ communities, Casey found.
Casey identified “deep-seated homophobia within the Met” and said that women in the force face “sexism and misogyny.”
There could be more Met officers like Wayne Couzens and David Carrick
Casey said that her “rigorous, stark and unsparing” review left her unable to “sufficiently assure” Londoners that there are not more officers like Wayne Couzens – who murdered Sarah Everard – and serial rapist David Carrick.
Complaints, she said, are not adequately investigated.
Predatory behaviour has “been allowed to flourish”
Casey said that patterns of behaviour that could escalate into more serious incidents are not identified or treated seriously by senior police.
“Time and time again, those complaining are not believed or supported. They are treated badly, or face counter-claims from those they have accused,” she wrote.
Wayne Couzens, the officer who killed Sarah Everard, had sent internal messages to other Met Police officers which should have been flagged.
Specialist child protection and sexual violence units are “overworked and inexperienced”
Casey found that the Met’s women and girls protection strategy “rings hollow” and that the child protection service has “major inadequacies.”
The Met does not offer a “functioning neighbourhood police force”
Londoners have been “put last” by the Met in a way which “has put women and children at greater risk than necessary,” Casey wrote.
Structural changes has weakened the link between officers and the community.
Two specialist units of the Met Police had “serious issues of culture and behaviour”
The Met’s specialist firearms command, MO19, has a “deeply troubling, toxic culture” and was described by one officer as “the most toxic, racist, sexist place I’ve ever worked. “
was told of a prevailing assumption in this part of MO19 that women and minorities will be ‘shit at the job,” the report reads.
The Met does not “root out bad officers” nor appropriately vet new recruits
Casey said “inadequate management” and HR procedures “fail to guard against those who seek power in order to abuse it.”
The report concludes that many officers could be in roles they are not trained for.
The Met does “not effectively root out bad officers, help to tackle mediocre officers, or truly support and develop good officers.”