We will root out racists and misogynists – new Met headon September 27, 2022 at 9:20 am

The new commissioner of the Met Police has said he will root out the “racists and misogynists” within the force.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Mark Rowley said he would be “ruthless in rooting out officers who were corrupting the force’s integrity”.

“Everyone deserves a chance for an honest mistake but we can all see the difference between an honest mistake and toxic,” he added.

The force has been beset by a series of scandals in recent years.

An off-duty police officer raped and murdered Sarah Everard, while two others photographed the murdered bodies of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.

There has also been outrage over racist, sexist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers based at Charing Cross police station between 2016 and 2018, questions raised over the force’s approach to tackling corruption and its use of stop and search, as well as ongoing investigations into deaths following police contact, including that of Chris Kaba, who was shot by an officer.

In June, the Met was placed into special measures by the police watchdog over the way it carries out its basic functions, for neglecting to identify repeat victims, and its delays in answering 999 calls.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier, Sir Mark said: “We need to be ruthless in rooting out those who are corrupting the integrity of the organisation; the racists, the misogynists.

“Of course the organisation hasn’t deliberately supported them, but unless leadership, culture, systems, technology, resources are all lined up to do it, then a wish doesn’t become a reality and it hasn’t been a reality.”

He said the force had let the public down as well as people within the organisation, the “good majority who come to work and do amazing things on behalf of the public day in and day out, and have been let down by their colleagues who have not been robustly dealt with and let down by not being set up properly to succeed with their job. That’s what I’m trying to deal with.”

Sir Mark, who says the Met is also reviewing its recruiting and vetting approaches, added: “I want to speak to the people who are angry but constructive because they want policing to succeed.

“I don’t want to talk to people who are more interested in their own position or politics, I want to talk to the people who really care about policing.

“I don’t care how angry they are, I want to talk to them if they want to help me fix it.”

A police service placed in special measures, public trust shaken by a series of scandals – perhaps no surprise, then, that Sir Mark Rowley told the BBC he has had more than one person question his sanity for wanting to take on the job as new commissioner.

He has accepted there is a huge amount to do: from getting the basics of policing right – with promises we will see more officers on London’s streets and a response to every burglary – to rooting out corrupt officers.

But there is still not much detail yet on how he will do this, how whistleblowers will be supported and whether he will be given the extra powers he has called for to enable him to have the final say and get rid of corrupt officers.

Sir Mark has indicated he’s keen to hear from Londoners who feel let down by the Met, and listen to what he calls “constructive anger” to help the force to change. Those won’t be easy conversations.

Will it be enough to restore public trust? These are big promises from a commissioner who claims he is on a personal mission for change.

The detail of how – and when – we will see that change is not yet clear.

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