Policing in London is broken
This week, Baroness Casey’s Review of the Metropolitan Police confirmed what many already knew: the Met are institutionally racist, homophobic, sexist and corrupt. There is a deep-seated culture of hubris, denial and elitism within the Met. London no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service. The protection of women and children has been de-prioritised and de-specialised. There is little accountability and transparency. Discrimination is tolerated and baked into the system.
Our police force is broken.
The review is a description of our policing service that I know many of my constituents will be sadly familiar with from personal experience. As the MP for Edmonton, I’ve heard countless horror stories from constituents, from lost evidence to the abuse of stop-and-search powers. I’ve called out the corruption and discrimination at the heart of the Met for years, but I’m hopeful that the jaw-dropping nature of Casey’s review could finally bring about the change that has been needed for so long.
I’m less hopeful that Commissioner Rowley is the right person to bring about that change. Rowley has spent most of his career in the Met being part of the problems described in Casey’s review. He was responsible for some of those units that Casey singles out as being the worst pits of racism, sexism and corruption. Rowley, when asked why he didn’t spot these problems before, says he didn’t see them. Rowley also refuses to accept that the force is ‘institutionally’ racist, homophobic, sexist and corrupt.
It’s difficult to understand how somebody who has been part of the problem can fix it, especially when he appears blind to the problems that appeared so clear to Casey.
I hope I’m wrong. If not, Commissioner Rowley needs to be replaced by somebody from outside of the Met and we need to look at replacing the Met with a new police force that serves Londoners and not themselves.
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