UK Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, new report finds News
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UK Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, new report finds

A review into the London Metropolitan Police Service (Met) Tuesday found the Met to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic. Sparked by the murder of Sarah Everard by a Met police officer in 2021, the review made multiple recommendations to help tackle issues within the police force.

In February 2022, former Commissioner of the Met Dame Cressida Dick commissioned Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, a prominent British government official working in the social welfare sector, to review the Met’s culture, behavior and standards. Casey based the review on evidence obtained through conversations with officers and staff, as well as data, systems, and operation performance analyses.

The review highlighted nine key problem areas, including the toleration of discrimination and the “deep seated cultures [that] need to be tackled in order for change to be sustained.” The review also labeled the management of the Met as “inadequate,” while the also criticizing the Met’s child protection strategies, provision of psychological help and current vetting techniques.

The review discovered that systematic racial bias, complaints, misconduct and predatory behavior, while previously reported, have not been “sufficiently addressed.” The review emphasized the Met’s culture of “not easily accept[ing] criticism nor ‘own[ing]’ its failures” as a contributing factor contributing. Finally, bullying and “institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia” were evidenced, with 22 percent of staff and officers experiencing bullying–the majority of which having protected characteristics.

In their recommendations for “fixing the Met,” the report suggested a new misconduct process with a particular focus on the handling of sexual misconduct, domestic abuse and discrimination. The report recommended that all systems and management of the Met enforce “the highest policing ethical values and standards” in the new reforms, as well as implementing changes to vetting systems and child protection strategies and safeguarding practices. Progress in the recommended areas is set to be reviewed after two years.

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