An anticipated report has ‘excoriated’ the Metropolitan Police, according to The Guardian
After the murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens in 2021, a report was commissioned by the force, and uncovers whether failures by the Met result in institutional misogyny, racism and homophobia
Couzens, a former police constable, kidnapped, raped and strangled Everard before burning her body
It is thought that the report, written by Louise Casey, will illustrate her damning report against the Met with new case studies
The report highlights the fact that cases such as Couzens and David Carrick, a former police officer revealed to be a serial rapist, are not one-off, isolated incidents but instead a testament to how deep-rooted the Met’s failures are
The Met desperately needs cultural reform
This new report has shattered whatever remaining positive views certain people may have of the Metropolitan Police.
Even the most optimistic people can no longer deny that the Met Police is in desperate need of reform, both culturally and recruitment-wise.
Cases such as Couzens and Carrick prove that there is a deeper issue at the root of this situation, and the Met would do well to root it out as quickly as possible; not only for their reputations but for society at large.
If reports are to be believed, the police have even tried to evade public scrutiny by deleting case studies from their websites, including that of David Carrick.
This, along with the aforementioned cases and historical examples of racism and homophobia, paints a picture of the Met that does not fill a citizen with hope that interactions with them will always end amicably.
It erodes public trust and confidence in the force, which could lead to a rise in vigilantism. Why would a person use a service with such a bad reputation, and for good reason?
It leads people to see the police as enemies and not allies, which can lead to more confrontations and more unnecessary tragedy.
Citizens will begin to take the law into their own hands more frequently, which could lead to an increase in crime. Last year, West Midlands Police recorded the highest rate of knife crime offences (152 per 100,000).
It also raises questions about attitudes towards women, and whether or not the UK should deal with the skeletons in their own closets before pointing the finger at other countries and cultures.
UK media outlets are all too keen to allow public figures to criticise Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries for their alleged ‘bad’ treatment of women, despite cases such as Couzens and Carrick becoming commonplace.
One could speculate that this scandal is indicative of the existence of a wider cultural attitude towards women in the UK.
In any case, it seems the time has come to simply call a spade a spade. The Metropolitan Police is in desperate need of reform, and quickly; perhaps from independent oversight.
It needs to find its integrity, with societal cohesion at stake.
What now?
It is to be expected that serving officers found guilty of any form of misconduct as a result of the publication of this report will be dismissed.
The report has given the Met a simple but frank choice; “change itself”, or risk being broken up.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he accepts the “diagnosis” of prejudice in the force, but would not use the term ‘institutional’ because he views it as ‘politicised’ and ‘ambiguous.’
The Guardian‘s Vikram Dodd has described this ordeal as ‘the fall of a British institution’.
