LONDON, 17 Oct. (DPA/EP) –
The new head of the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, has recognized that there are “hundreds” of agents who should be outside the force, after the first conclusions of a latest report are known, which will come to light next year, in which indicates that more than 1,200 offenders remained in their posts despite inappropriate behavior.
“You come to the conclusion that there must be hundreds of people who should not be here, who should be expelled,” said Rowley, who has recognized as “very insufficient” the annual figures of between 30 and 50 agents expelled for bad behavior.
In this sense, he has pointed out that there are “hundreds” who are having “shameful” behavior and “undermining” the integrity of the police force and that therefore “they have to be expelled.”
The report has been prepared by Louise Casey, a British government official who was commissioned at the end of 2021 to carry out an independent study on the functioning of the Metropolitan Police after the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of an agent who was sentenced for it to life imprisonment.
The report also concludes that the internal disciplinary system of the Metropolitan Police is racist and misogynistic, making complaints of discrimination or sexual misconduct less likely to prosper.
“We have repeatedly heard from colleagues who feel and believe, and in fact have given us examples of cases, that there are several people who get away with it despite their misconduct,” said Casey.
Thus, the report details that up to 1,263 police officers were involved in two or more cases, more than 500 were involved from three to five and 41 were involved in six or more, the highest number being 19. Repeat offenders have also remained in their posts for despite everything. Since 2013, only thirteen people out of 1,809 with previous complaints have been expelled.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has also made mention of these initial conclusions, who has expressed that the situation in the Metropolitan Police is worse than he feared. “I expect no less that each of the recommendations in this review will be implemented quickly and in full,” he said.
“All complaints of misconduct must be acted upon and cases must be resolved much more quickly,” said Khan, who has asked for support for all these agents who have reported these situations and who “have clearly been disappointed for a long time.”
