Kroll
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63164818
First the Met, now the Border Force getting caught with their racism and misogyny.
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Contact the PP Team
All not well with police in the UK!
- Thread starter Kroll
- Start date
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63164818
First the Met, now the Border Force getting caught with their racism and misogyny.
sweep_shot
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Joking about Pakistani flood? Wow! That's a very low thing to do.
KingKhanWC
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British police are generally low life people, most who were bullied at school. Most also have little to no knowledge of the law, see some auditing videos on Youtube.
The Met is well known as a racist org.
We need the Hindutva Police to flogg these racist cops.
The Met is well known as a racist org.
We need the Hindutva Police to flogg these racist cops.
Robert
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Try him and send him to jail if he is found guilty. He will be in danger though - cons don’t treat ex-cops in jail well. He will have to go to the at-risk wing with the sex offenders.
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A criminal investigation has been launched into six serving police officers and a former officer over "discriminatory" and "derogatory" messages shared in a WhatsApp group, a watchdog has said.
The officers are being investigated for offences under the Communications Act after allegedly sending "grossly offensive messages", the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
They include five officers serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), a former CNC officer who now works for another force and an ex-CNC officer.
All seven people are also under investigation for potential gross misconduct, the IOPC said.
The watchdog said it had identified a "significant number" of messages of a "discriminatory, derogatory or pornographic nature" shared within the WhatsApp group.
It followed referrals from the CNC and a force in the southwest of England, according to the watchdog.
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: "The allegations against these officers and a former officer are extremely serious and concerning.
"On conclusion of our investigation we will decide whether the matters should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, whose role it is to determine whether criminal charges will follow."
The CNC is the armed police force in charge of protecting civil nuclear sites and nuclear materials in England and Scotland.
The force said its five serving officers under investigation had been suspended while the IOPC probe is carried out.
CNC chief constable Simon Chesterman said: "As I am sure you can appreciate, this is a live investigation and I am limited in what I can say at this stage as we must ensure it remains a fair and independent process.
"This is the latest in a number of cases where serving or former police officers are accused of displaying offensive and discriminatory behaviour, which damages public trust in policing and the credibility of the police service.
"Those who hold and display racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic or any other views that are discriminatory have no place in the police service and they will be rooted out."
It is understood the IOPC's investigation into the officers is not connected to Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, who worked for the CNC from March 2011 to September 2018.
Last month, a serving Metropolitan Police officer and a former colleague were convicted of sending grossly offensive misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group called "Bottle and Stoppers" with Couzens.
Couzens is serving a whole-life sentence for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Ms Everard in March 2021, when he was working in the Met.
On Friday, the new head of the Met Police, Sir Mark Rowley, announced the force has launched a new anti-corruption unit to root out "criminal colleagues".
SKY
The officers are being investigated for offences under the Communications Act after allegedly sending "grossly offensive messages", the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
They include five officers serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), a former CNC officer who now works for another force and an ex-CNC officer.
All seven people are also under investigation for potential gross misconduct, the IOPC said.
The watchdog said it had identified a "significant number" of messages of a "discriminatory, derogatory or pornographic nature" shared within the WhatsApp group.
It followed referrals from the CNC and a force in the southwest of England, according to the watchdog.
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: "The allegations against these officers and a former officer are extremely serious and concerning.
"On conclusion of our investigation we will decide whether the matters should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, whose role it is to determine whether criminal charges will follow."
The CNC is the armed police force in charge of protecting civil nuclear sites and nuclear materials in England and Scotland.
The force said its five serving officers under investigation had been suspended while the IOPC probe is carried out.
CNC chief constable Simon Chesterman said: "As I am sure you can appreciate, this is a live investigation and I am limited in what I can say at this stage as we must ensure it remains a fair and independent process.
"This is the latest in a number of cases where serving or former police officers are accused of displaying offensive and discriminatory behaviour, which damages public trust in policing and the credibility of the police service.
"Those who hold and display racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic or any other views that are discriminatory have no place in the police service and they will be rooted out."
It is understood the IOPC's investigation into the officers is not connected to Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, who worked for the CNC from March 2011 to September 2018.
Last month, a serving Metropolitan Police officer and a former colleague were convicted of sending grossly offensive misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group called "Bottle and Stoppers" with Couzens.
Couzens is serving a whole-life sentence for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Ms Everard in March 2021, when he was working in the Met.
On Friday, the new head of the Met Police, Sir Mark Rowley, announced the force has launched a new anti-corruption unit to root out "criminal colleagues".
SKY
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Women and children have been failed by the Metropolitan Police, with racism, misogyny, and homophobia at the heart of the force, a blistering review says.
Baroness Casey says a "boys' club" culture is rife and the force could be dismantled if it does not improve.
Her year-long review condemns systemic failures, painting a picture of a force where rape cases were dropped because freezers containing key evidence broke.
The Met's Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has apologised to Londoners.
He said: "It is ghastly. You sit down and read that report and it generates a whole series of emotions. It generates anger, frustration, embarrassment."
Baroness Casey was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.
During the course of her review, another Met officer, David Carrick, was convicted of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women.
The report begins with a tribute to Sarah Everard's mother and a quote from her victim impact statement, given in court. It says "those crimes and those betrayals of trust" led to this review.
The 363-page report condemns the force as institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. Staff routinely experience sexism, it adds. There are racist officers and staff, and a "deep-seated homophobia" in the organisation.
But Sir Mark told Radio 4's Today programme that while he accepted the "diagnosis" of the report he would not use the expression "institutional racism", describing it as ambiguous and politicised.
He said "hundreds" of "problematic" officers have been identified since he took over the force, and said the report has to be "a new beginning".
Baroness Casey says policing by consent - the idea ordinary people trust the police to act honourably and be held accountable - is broken in London.
Londoners have been "put last" and the city "no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service". The problem is more acute for ethnic minorities, the report found, warning "communities of colour are both over-policed and under-protected".
The report says leadership teams at the top of the Met have been in denial for decades, and there has been a systemic failure to root out discriminatory and bullying behaviour.
The force, it says, has failed to protect the public from officers who abuse women.
Asked if there could be more officers like Couzens and Carrick still within the force, Baroness Casey said: "I cannot sufficiently assure you that that is not the case."
Floral tributes and messages were left at a memorial site at Clapham Common Bandstand, following the murder of Sarah Everard, in 2021
Discrimination "is often ignored" and complaints "are likely to be turned against" ethnic minority officers, to the point where black officers are 81% more likely to be in the misconduct system than white colleagues, the report adds.
"Attempts to improve diversity in the Met are not succeeding," Baroness Casey says in the report. "The Met's response to discrimination is wholly unsatisfactory.
"Deep in its culture it is uncomfortable talking about racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination."
The report also reveals:
Dilapidated fridges were repeatedly found overpacked and how, during last summer's heatwave, a freezer broke down - all of the evidence inside had to be destroyed, meaning cases of alleged rape were dropped
Discrimination towards female colleagues; bags of urine being thrown at cars; male officers flicking each other's genitals; and sex toys being placed in coffee mugs
How a review heard about initiation rituals, including people being urinated on in the shower
One Sikh officer had his beard trimmed; while another had his turban put in a shoe box; and a Muslim officer found bacon in his boots
Almost one in five of Met employees surveyed had personally experienced homophobia
Baroness Casey says she accepted the Met had been "disfigured" by what she described as a decade of austerity and funding cuts.
Pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), on courts and an expanding London population are also citied as "significant challenges" for the Met.
But she says she felt not enough had changed since the 1999 Macpherson report, published after the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, which labelled the Met "institutionally racist" - a problem the force is "yet to free itself from".
"That's not on Cressida Dick," Baroness Casey told reporters - acknowledging Sir Mark's predecessor as the force's commissioner, who resigned last year.
"That's on every commissioner and a lot of politicians. It is rot when you treat Londoners in a racist fashion, that goes over a long period of time," she wrote.
The review made 16 recommendations and said changes were needed to "create a radically improved new London Metropolitan Police Service".
It calls for greater independent oversight, outside experts to be drafted in, regular progress updates overseen by the mayor and an immediate overhaul of vetting in order to "guard against those who intend to abuse the power of a police officer".
To regain Londoners' trust, the Met must rebuild its frontline police service, open itself up to comprehensive investigations in two and five years' time, and establish a process to "apologise for past failings and rebuild consent".
Baroness Casey said the scale of required reforms were on a par with the transformation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, into the PSNI, in 2001.
She said the specialist Parliamentary Protection Diplomatic Command department - the team Couzens had been a member of - should be disbanded in its current form, and firearms officers re-vetted.
The report said a dedicated women's protection service needed to be set up, and called for a broad new strategy for protecting children, including preventing the "adultification" of young people who are regarded as "threats rather than children who need protection from harm".
While domestic abuse cases have doubled in 10 years, the teams tasked with tackling the problem are understaffed, overworked and inexperienced. The Met has not made its publicly-stated policy to crack down on abusers an "operational reality", the report found.
It also said there should be a fundamental reset of stop and search in London, including the introduction of an independent monitor to assess its use.
Baroness Casey concluded: "If sufficient progress is not being made at the points of further review, more radical structural options - such as dividing up the Met into national, specialist and London responsibilities - should be considered."
Asked if he would tell his daughters they could trust the police, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "I need the answer to that question to be 'yes' and at the moment trust in the police has been hugely damaged."
Pressed on whether that extended to himself, he told BBC Breakfast it was "everyone's trust" that had been put under strain.
The PM said reforms were already under way, including checking all serving officers against police databases, and gave Sir Mark Rowley his vote of confidence.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today was "one of the darkest days in the 200-year history" of the Met but said the report did not surprise him as it chimed with his own personal and professional experiences.
Systemic issues needed to be addressed if the Met was to have a future, he added, but insisted the force did not need to be broken up.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was clear there have been serious failures of culture and leadership in the Met and Sir Mark had been working to restore public confidence.
BBC
Baroness Casey says a "boys' club" culture is rife and the force could be dismantled if it does not improve.
Her year-long review condemns systemic failures, painting a picture of a force where rape cases were dropped because freezers containing key evidence broke.
The Met's Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has apologised to Londoners.
He said: "It is ghastly. You sit down and read that report and it generates a whole series of emotions. It generates anger, frustration, embarrassment."
Baroness Casey was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.
During the course of her review, another Met officer, David Carrick, was convicted of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women.
The report begins with a tribute to Sarah Everard's mother and a quote from her victim impact statement, given in court. It says "those crimes and those betrayals of trust" led to this review.
The 363-page report condemns the force as institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. Staff routinely experience sexism, it adds. There are racist officers and staff, and a "deep-seated homophobia" in the organisation.
But Sir Mark told Radio 4's Today programme that while he accepted the "diagnosis" of the report he would not use the expression "institutional racism", describing it as ambiguous and politicised.
He said "hundreds" of "problematic" officers have been identified since he took over the force, and said the report has to be "a new beginning".
Baroness Casey says policing by consent - the idea ordinary people trust the police to act honourably and be held accountable - is broken in London.
Londoners have been "put last" and the city "no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service". The problem is more acute for ethnic minorities, the report found, warning "communities of colour are both over-policed and under-protected".
The report says leadership teams at the top of the Met have been in denial for decades, and there has been a systemic failure to root out discriminatory and bullying behaviour.
The force, it says, has failed to protect the public from officers who abuse women.
Asked if there could be more officers like Couzens and Carrick still within the force, Baroness Casey said: "I cannot sufficiently assure you that that is not the case."
Floral tributes and messages were left at a memorial site at Clapham Common Bandstand, following the murder of Sarah Everard, in 2021
Discrimination "is often ignored" and complaints "are likely to be turned against" ethnic minority officers, to the point where black officers are 81% more likely to be in the misconduct system than white colleagues, the report adds.
"Attempts to improve diversity in the Met are not succeeding," Baroness Casey says in the report. "The Met's response to discrimination is wholly unsatisfactory.
"Deep in its culture it is uncomfortable talking about racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination."
The report also reveals:
Dilapidated fridges were repeatedly found overpacked and how, during last summer's heatwave, a freezer broke down - all of the evidence inside had to be destroyed, meaning cases of alleged rape were dropped
Discrimination towards female colleagues; bags of urine being thrown at cars; male officers flicking each other's genitals; and sex toys being placed in coffee mugs
How a review heard about initiation rituals, including people being urinated on in the shower
One Sikh officer had his beard trimmed; while another had his turban put in a shoe box; and a Muslim officer found bacon in his boots
Almost one in five of Met employees surveyed had personally experienced homophobia
Baroness Casey says she accepted the Met had been "disfigured" by what she described as a decade of austerity and funding cuts.
Pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), on courts and an expanding London population are also citied as "significant challenges" for the Met.
But she says she felt not enough had changed since the 1999 Macpherson report, published after the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, which labelled the Met "institutionally racist" - a problem the force is "yet to free itself from".
"That's not on Cressida Dick," Baroness Casey told reporters - acknowledging Sir Mark's predecessor as the force's commissioner, who resigned last year.
"That's on every commissioner and a lot of politicians. It is rot when you treat Londoners in a racist fashion, that goes over a long period of time," she wrote.
The review made 16 recommendations and said changes were needed to "create a radically improved new London Metropolitan Police Service".
It calls for greater independent oversight, outside experts to be drafted in, regular progress updates overseen by the mayor and an immediate overhaul of vetting in order to "guard against those who intend to abuse the power of a police officer".
To regain Londoners' trust, the Met must rebuild its frontline police service, open itself up to comprehensive investigations in two and five years' time, and establish a process to "apologise for past failings and rebuild consent".
Baroness Casey said the scale of required reforms were on a par with the transformation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, into the PSNI, in 2001.
She said the specialist Parliamentary Protection Diplomatic Command department - the team Couzens had been a member of - should be disbanded in its current form, and firearms officers re-vetted.
The report said a dedicated women's protection service needed to be set up, and called for a broad new strategy for protecting children, including preventing the "adultification" of young people who are regarded as "threats rather than children who need protection from harm".
While domestic abuse cases have doubled in 10 years, the teams tasked with tackling the problem are understaffed, overworked and inexperienced. The Met has not made its publicly-stated policy to crack down on abusers an "operational reality", the report found.
It also said there should be a fundamental reset of stop and search in London, including the introduction of an independent monitor to assess its use.
Baroness Casey concluded: "If sufficient progress is not being made at the points of further review, more radical structural options - such as dividing up the Met into national, specialist and London responsibilities - should be considered."
Asked if he would tell his daughters they could trust the police, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "I need the answer to that question to be 'yes' and at the moment trust in the police has been hugely damaged."
Pressed on whether that extended to himself, he told BBC Breakfast it was "everyone's trust" that had been put under strain.
The PM said reforms were already under way, including checking all serving officers against police databases, and gave Sir Mark Rowley his vote of confidence.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today was "one of the darkest days in the 200-year history" of the Met but said the report did not surprise him as it chimed with his own personal and professional experiences.
Systemic issues needed to be addressed if the Met was to have a future, he added, but insisted the force did not need to be broken up.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was clear there have been serious failures of culture and leadership in the Met and Sir Mark had been working to restore public confidence.
BBC
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"For a while, seeing a police officer in uniform, I'd have flashbacks," says "Sally", who is herself a serving police officer, left traumatised by sexual abuse from a fellow officer.
Sally, not her real name, works for Humberside Police and her testimony perhaps indicates the need for a Louise Casey-style review in every force.
She is one of two women we've spoken to from the area covered by Humberside Police who reveal problems with misogyny within the local constabulary; a problem which she describes as "a monster."
The other woman, a victim we are calling Anna, says police records show they in part blamed her "lifestyle choices" and "attention seeking" after she reported being groomed and raped.
This comes after the Casey review found that the Met police was institutionally sexist, racist and homophobic, and said women were being failed because of a misogynistic culture.
Serving officer Sally says this is true too in Humberside. She claims any young female recruit is considered "fresh meat" and senior female officers have their achievements undermined by mutterings that they've "slept their way to the top".
She says she was seduced by a senior officer and found herself in a controlling, sexually violent relationship.
Humberside Police was rated outstanding by the police inspectorate, but Sally says when it became known she'd reported a fellow officer her colleagues rallied around him.
"I was ostracised, given the cold shoulder. It was like passive-aggressive behaviour," she says.
"So, I'd be stared at, or given dirty looks. They were like schoolyard bullies. I'd come down the stairs and they'd be all sat together, just look up and stare at me."
She adds: "After the misconduct hearing, so after he lost his job, I lost count of the amount of officers that came up to me and said - 'oh he's always been like that.'"
SKY
Sally, not her real name, works for Humberside Police and her testimony perhaps indicates the need for a Louise Casey-style review in every force.
She is one of two women we've spoken to from the area covered by Humberside Police who reveal problems with misogyny within the local constabulary; a problem which she describes as "a monster."
The other woman, a victim we are calling Anna, says police records show they in part blamed her "lifestyle choices" and "attention seeking" after she reported being groomed and raped.
This comes after the Casey review found that the Met police was institutionally sexist, racist and homophobic, and said women were being failed because of a misogynistic culture.
Serving officer Sally says this is true too in Humberside. She claims any young female recruit is considered "fresh meat" and senior female officers have their achievements undermined by mutterings that they've "slept their way to the top".
She says she was seduced by a senior officer and found herself in a controlling, sexually violent relationship.
Humberside Police was rated outstanding by the police inspectorate, but Sally says when it became known she'd reported a fellow officer her colleagues rallied around him.
"I was ostracised, given the cold shoulder. It was like passive-aggressive behaviour," she says.
"So, I'd be stared at, or given dirty looks. They were like schoolyard bullies. I'd come down the stairs and they'd be all sat together, just look up and stare at me."
She adds: "After the misconduct hearing, so after he lost his job, I lost count of the amount of officers that came up to me and said - 'oh he's always been like that.'"
SKY
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- Runs
- 217,977
The mother of a student police officer who took his own life in March has said she “gave her baby up to a service that killed him”, as she and the rest of his family demand justice.
Anugrah Abraham’s family claimed his death on 3 March was caused by bullying and racism he faced while doing a placement with West Yorkshire Police (WYP) as part of his degree at Leeds Trinity University.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initially recommended WYP investigate the matter itself. But, following calls from Abraham’s family, the IOPC announced yesterday it had reconsidered its decision and will now conduct an independent investigation.
The 21-year-old’s mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I gave my baby up to a service that ultimately didn’t cherish value or nurture him – but killed him.”
Speaking to The Independent, his aunt Rita Alfred-Saggar, from Manchester, said the “close-knit” family has “all been destroyed.
“How [does the] family move on from this?” she asked. “This is a case of someone being bullied to death. The police, they have blood on their hands. We want some answers as to why this is all allowed to go on and who is going to be held responsible.”
Abraham’s family said they are “relieved” about the reversal of the watchdog’s decision and are expecting a “fearless and thorough investigation to be completed as soon as possible”, with the family at its heart.
Ms Alfred-Saggar said she wanted to highlight how there is an “endemic culture of bullying, brutalism, racism, homophobia, sexism within the police – which is not just limited to the Met”.
“Anu’s parents don’t want to see any other parents going through the grief they’re going through – it’s hideous,” she said. “Families that this has happened to don’t even have time to grieve because they’re in this David and Goliath fight almost immediately – and that’s inhuman. But if we don’t do this now and face these faceless institutions, we will never get justice and Anu’s death will have been in vain. ”
Abraham was described by his family as going from being a loving, smart, hard-working “happy young man, proud to be a serving police officer, to becoming increasingly unconfident and anxious”.
His parents and two sisters said they regularly heard about how Abraham was unsupported, insulted and criticised at his job. They claimed he was sent out alone to deal with cases that involved serious harm, which left the 21-year-old feeling vulnerable, isolated, afraid and ill-equipped.
The family said Abraham was shaking when he told of how he was instructed to carry out a full search of a dead body that was floating in a river, despite his being a student officer and there being two other officers present. Abraham initially vomited and later broke down in tears – but the family claimed they did not care, before proceeding to insult and criticise him in front of the rest of the team.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...p&cvid=4b28429629324bd488568ae3054f4dab&ei=46
Anugrah Abraham’s family claimed his death on 3 March was caused by bullying and racism he faced while doing a placement with West Yorkshire Police (WYP) as part of his degree at Leeds Trinity University.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initially recommended WYP investigate the matter itself. But, following calls from Abraham’s family, the IOPC announced yesterday it had reconsidered its decision and will now conduct an independent investigation.
The 21-year-old’s mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I gave my baby up to a service that ultimately didn’t cherish value or nurture him – but killed him.”
Speaking to The Independent, his aunt Rita Alfred-Saggar, from Manchester, said the “close-knit” family has “all been destroyed.
“How [does the] family move on from this?” she asked. “This is a case of someone being bullied to death. The police, they have blood on their hands. We want some answers as to why this is all allowed to go on and who is going to be held responsible.”
Abraham’s family said they are “relieved” about the reversal of the watchdog’s decision and are expecting a “fearless and thorough investigation to be completed as soon as possible”, with the family at its heart.
Ms Alfred-Saggar said she wanted to highlight how there is an “endemic culture of bullying, brutalism, racism, homophobia, sexism within the police – which is not just limited to the Met”.
“Anu’s parents don’t want to see any other parents going through the grief they’re going through – it’s hideous,” she said. “Families that this has happened to don’t even have time to grieve because they’re in this David and Goliath fight almost immediately – and that’s inhuman. But if we don’t do this now and face these faceless institutions, we will never get justice and Anu’s death will have been in vain. ”
Abraham was described by his family as going from being a loving, smart, hard-working “happy young man, proud to be a serving police officer, to becoming increasingly unconfident and anxious”.
His parents and two sisters said they regularly heard about how Abraham was unsupported, insulted and criticised at his job. They claimed he was sent out alone to deal with cases that involved serious harm, which left the 21-year-old feeling vulnerable, isolated, afraid and ill-equipped.
The family said Abraham was shaking when he told of how he was instructed to carry out a full search of a dead body that was floating in a river, despite his being a student officer and there being two other officers present. Abraham initially vomited and later broke down in tears – but the family claimed they did not care, before proceeding to insult and criticise him in front of the rest of the team.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...p&cvid=4b28429629324bd488568ae3054f4dab&ei=46
daytrader
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- Post of the Week
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Metropolitan Police operation to root out unfit officers could see nearly 200 face dismissal
Nearly 100 Metropolitan Police officers have been moved from crime squads - and priorities like tackling organised crime and terrorism - to internal standards to help root out colleagues deemed unfit to be in the force
Nearly 200 serving Metropolitan Police staff previously accused of sex crimes or domestic abuse need urgent risk assessment or new vetting, the commissioner has admitted.
They could be fired as part of the beleaguered force's blitz on culture and standards within Scotland Yard.
Another 689 individuals, officers and civilian support staff, are also having old allegations against them re-examined to see if they pose a continuing risk.
The figures were revealed by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in an update to the Home Secretary Suella Braverman in which he hopes to demonstrate that he is turning his words into action.
Sir Mark took over the force in September, vowing to root out rogue officers and promising "more trust, less crime, high standards," a mantra he said should be tattooed on his forehead.
In the past two years the Met police has been rocked by a wave of scandals, including a sex murder by PC Wayne Couzens, multiple rapes by PC David Carrick and a recent review that branded the force institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
...
https://news.sky.com/story/metropol...-could-see-nearly-200-face-dismissal-12850834
Nearly 100 Metropolitan Police officers have been moved from crime squads - and priorities like tackling organised crime and terrorism - to internal standards to help root out colleagues deemed unfit to be in the force
Nearly 200 serving Metropolitan Police staff previously accused of sex crimes or domestic abuse need urgent risk assessment or new vetting, the commissioner has admitted.
They could be fired as part of the beleaguered force's blitz on culture and standards within Scotland Yard.
Another 689 individuals, officers and civilian support staff, are also having old allegations against them re-examined to see if they pose a continuing risk.
The figures were revealed by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in an update to the Home Secretary Suella Braverman in which he hopes to demonstrate that he is turning his words into action.
Sir Mark took over the force in September, vowing to root out rogue officers and promising "more trust, less crime, high standards," a mantra he said should be tattooed on his forehead.
In the past two years the Met police has been rocked by a wave of scandals, including a sex murder by PC Wayne Couzens, multiple rapes by PC David Carrick and a recent review that branded the force institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
...
https://news.sky.com/story/metropol...-could-see-nearly-200-face-dismissal-12850834
KingKhanWC
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- 50,388
This a serious issue . Nearly 900 is a huge number for one force .
Most cops in uk are power hungry sickos . As I wrote previously many were bullied as children so joining the force allows them to abuse & bully others .
The most worthless institution in the uk.
If you need to call them for help be careful
Most cops in uk are power hungry sickos . As I wrote previously many were bullied as children so joining the force allows them to abuse & bully others .
The most worthless institution in the uk.
If you need to call them for help be careful
Where do you get your stats from?
The UK police has a serious issues with police committing sexual crimes and this needs to addressed and sorted out.
But for you to make such sweeping statements against all police officers just highlights your hate. On what basis do you feel most were bullied as children or are sickos?
The police nationally respond to thousands of calls daily and 99.99% of calls do not lead to accusations of corruption or sexual assaults.
It doesn’t however negate the fact that there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
KingKhanWC
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I’m glad you’re finally willing to discuss this .
The stats are posted above , try reading .
From peoples experiences, speaking to many , news etc . It’s my opinion most uk cops have some kind of insecurity. What do you base your views on them being not ?
These criminals parading as some hero’s should have the book thrown at them , made an example but the met is known for cover ups . I suspect the real number is far greater.
Why are so many criminals & sexual abusers?l
I will reply later .
Why are you glad that I’m finally discussing this? Am I that important?
Ok so in your opinion, virtually all police officers are bullies and sickos but you cannot back it with any meaningful facts?
I cannot debate with such naivety and immaturity.
My position is clear that corruption and sexual crimes in the police are becoming more common and needs to be addressed. Why it’s happening? I can only give an opinion.
KingKhanWC
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On the contrary you are not important in an way to me and im being kind here as its Ramadan.
I wrote MOST , its a fair generalistion imo. Just take a look at the state of these sorry cops of the UK, they couldnt catch a cold unless it hit them. Many are overweight, lack basic intelligence and spend most of their day running after weed smokers.
But what Im really interested is your view as to why sexual abuse is so huge by police? The reason Im asking is you were quick to attack Andrew Tate who has never been convicted, even attacking other posters who merely were suggesting innocent until proven guilty but are mute like a horse without a tongue when it comes to the cops, esp the ones convicted. Please explain in detail why so many cops are being investigated and why a fair number have been convicted of sexual crimes?
A highly-regarded police officer who ran an award-winning cadet unit used it as a 'grooming playground' for his 'sexual gratification', a court heard.
Adnan Ali allegedly took advantage of 'inadequate oversight' by commanders to target 'young and vulnerable people'.
The 36-year-old Greater Manchester Police constable is accused of 20 offences, including sexual assaults, sending indecent messages and misconduct in public office.
His trial began today at Liverpool Crown Court, where Anne Whyte, KC, prosecuting, said the alleged offences took place as he dramatically expanded his group in Trafford, Manchester, from 30 to 130 youngsters.
She said: 'He exploited the freedom he was given and the over-recruitment of cadets to commit sexual assaults and indulge in sexual and suggestive communications with young and vulnerable people who looked up to him.'
During Ali's time in charge of Trafford Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme, it won numerous local and national awards, the court was told.
Jurors heard there was, however, a darker side to Ali's activities.
'Due to his own behaviour and Greater Manchester Police's failure to monitor it, the Trafford Cadet Scheme became something of a grooming playground for Adnan Ali,' the prosecutor added.
The cadet group – which recruited members aged 13-17 - was only 'supposed to have about 30 members' – less than a quarter of its size at the time of Ali's arrest, the court heard.
But Ms Whyte said: 'The increased numbers of cadets no doubt increased his opportunities to flirt, to test the waters and to act inappropriately.
'Perhaps his own head was turned by his earlier success as an officer and by his popularity as a cadet leader. All of this coupled with his unrestrained sexual appetites and over familiarity was a recipe for misconduct and abuse.
'However inadequate GMP's oversight of the cadet scheme, Ali would have known about the standards of behaviour by which he was required to behave.'
The court heard Ali's 'predatory but, at times carefully calibrated behaviour', would be 'misconduct and unlawful in any walk of life, but especially so for a police officer'.
He is accused of initially targeting teens with 'grossly inappropriate' communications'.
Ms Whyte added: 'At times, he went even further and touched his young charges sexually, no doubt in the hope that it might also progress to something more substantial.'
She said his 'deeply unprofessional' behaviour was 'designed to gratify his own sexual inclinations which, on one view, were out of control'.
Ali, of Old Trafford, Manchester, allegedly went on to sexually assault two teenage girls and a 17-year-old boy, and have sexualised conversations with six other teenage boys.
He is also accused of sending indecent images to some of the teenagers.
With some of his alleged victims, he ended messages with kisses and would talk about being in the bath and in bed, it is claimed.
He allegedly massaged the shoulders of a 17-year-old boy cadet, hugged him and asked if he would ever consider having sex with a boy.
Ms Whyte said: 'There was not one aspect of PC Ali's employment duties that either necessitated or justified the constant drip of over familiarity used to gain the confidence of young cadets and there was no excuse for the sexual familiarity.'
Ms Whyte said he was arrested in October 2018 after one of the alleged victims complained about his behaviour. Other complainants then came forward.
Ali – who denies all charges - was also involved in the recruitment of apprentice police officers, a number of whom were allocated to Trafford cadet unit under his supervision.
Ms Whyte said highly-trained Ali behaved as if he 'had decided to throw the rule book out'.
'Not only did he allow himself to be alone with these young people, he deliberately made his relationships with them personal.
'As a police constable, he was there to nurture their professional development as cadets and apprentices, to oversee their welfare and safeguarding.
'Instead, he tried to befriend and then to groom them sexually, knowing that they would find it difficult to report him due to the imbalance of power and age, and to their perception that he could influence their careers.'
The trial continues.
Adnan Ali allegedly took advantage of 'inadequate oversight' by commanders to target 'young and vulnerable people'.
The 36-year-old Greater Manchester Police constable is accused of 20 offences, including sexual assaults, sending indecent messages and misconduct in public office.
His trial began today at Liverpool Crown Court, where Anne Whyte, KC, prosecuting, said the alleged offences took place as he dramatically expanded his group in Trafford, Manchester, from 30 to 130 youngsters.
She said: 'He exploited the freedom he was given and the over-recruitment of cadets to commit sexual assaults and indulge in sexual and suggestive communications with young and vulnerable people who looked up to him.'
During Ali's time in charge of Trafford Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme, it won numerous local and national awards, the court was told.
Jurors heard there was, however, a darker side to Ali's activities.
'Due to his own behaviour and Greater Manchester Police's failure to monitor it, the Trafford Cadet Scheme became something of a grooming playground for Adnan Ali,' the prosecutor added.
The cadet group – which recruited members aged 13-17 - was only 'supposed to have about 30 members' – less than a quarter of its size at the time of Ali's arrest, the court heard.
But Ms Whyte said: 'The increased numbers of cadets no doubt increased his opportunities to flirt, to test the waters and to act inappropriately.
'Perhaps his own head was turned by his earlier success as an officer and by his popularity as a cadet leader. All of this coupled with his unrestrained sexual appetites and over familiarity was a recipe for misconduct and abuse.
'However inadequate GMP's oversight of the cadet scheme, Ali would have known about the standards of behaviour by which he was required to behave.'
The court heard Ali's 'predatory but, at times carefully calibrated behaviour', would be 'misconduct and unlawful in any walk of life, but especially so for a police officer'.
He is accused of initially targeting teens with 'grossly inappropriate' communications'.
Ms Whyte added: 'At times, he went even further and touched his young charges sexually, no doubt in the hope that it might also progress to something more substantial.'
She said his 'deeply unprofessional' behaviour was 'designed to gratify his own sexual inclinations which, on one view, were out of control'.
Ali, of Old Trafford, Manchester, allegedly went on to sexually assault two teenage girls and a 17-year-old boy, and have sexualised conversations with six other teenage boys.
He is also accused of sending indecent images to some of the teenagers.
With some of his alleged victims, he ended messages with kisses and would talk about being in the bath and in bed, it is claimed.
He allegedly massaged the shoulders of a 17-year-old boy cadet, hugged him and asked if he would ever consider having sex with a boy.
Ms Whyte said: 'There was not one aspect of PC Ali's employment duties that either necessitated or justified the constant drip of over familiarity used to gain the confidence of young cadets and there was no excuse for the sexual familiarity.'
Ms Whyte said he was arrested in October 2018 after one of the alleged victims complained about his behaviour. Other complainants then came forward.
Ali – who denies all charges - was also involved in the recruitment of apprentice police officers, a number of whom were allocated to Trafford cadet unit under his supervision.
Ms Whyte said highly-trained Ali behaved as if he 'had decided to throw the rule book out'.
'Not only did he allow himself to be alone with these young people, he deliberately made his relationships with them personal.
'As a police constable, he was there to nurture their professional development as cadets and apprentices, to oversee their welfare and safeguarding.
'Instead, he tried to befriend and then to groom them sexually, knowing that they would find it difficult to report him due to the imbalance of power and age, and to their perception that he could influence their careers.'
The trial continues.
KingKhanWC
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^ Disgusting!
Its not because he's Asian but because he is a POLICE OFFICER!
Sexual abuse in the force is becoming a pandemic.
Then we have this...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65203633
IF YOU are a YOUNG WOMAN , please be careful if approached by UK police officers.
Its not because he's Asian but because he is a POLICE OFFICER!
Sexual abuse in the force is becoming a pandemic.
Then we have this...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65203633
IF YOU are a YOUNG WOMAN , please be careful if approached by UK police officers.
Sorry you expect me to give you my date and share my experiences on why police corruption and sexual crime is on the increase with you? You’re someone who thinks ‘all’ police are sickos and were bullied as a kid and I don’t debate or discuss important issues with such naive and immature people.
Bottom line is those who police who are guilty should and have been punished.
KingKhanWC
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I dont want your personal experience as it would be a lie. I want you to give me your view why the UK police have a systematic problem with sexually abusing people? Why there are so many being investigated? You were quick to attack Tate who isnt convicted but are running away from these people whom some are convicted?
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Two female officers who complained about a male colleague 'making sex noises' and telling one he liked to 'look at her a***' were allegedly asked to drop their complaints by a Police Federation representative.
Former PC Michael Baines was hauled before an independent misconduct panel and sacked for gross misconduct after multiple complaints about his behaviour towards two fellow officers, referred to as 'Officer A' and 'Officer B', at Merseyside Police's training academy.
But it has emerged that an unnamed representative of the Police Federation, the union which represents rank and file officers, is also subject to misconduct proceedings. An independent misconduct panel into PC Baines' behaviour noted in a written judgment: "Officers A and B have been involved in separate misconduct proceedings against a Police Federation representative who attempted to persuade them to drop their allegations against PC Baines.
"Officer A and Officer B are understandably upset about this and they are also dissatisfied with the way in which they were treated by the Academy."
The panel heard the most serious allegation against the ex officer was on a group training run on September 15, 2021, when one of the women, referred to in the hearing as 'Officer B', fell to the back of the group.
According to misconduct panel's written ruling: "It appeared to [Officer B] that you were deliberately running behind her, and during that run, she [Officer B] stopped three times expecting you to overtake her, you did not.
"When she stopped for a 4th time she said: 'Oh, Mike you don’t have to wait for me, go and catch up with the others' to which you replied words to the effect of 'I’ve got no motivation unless I’m watching your a***'.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/female-officers-told-drop-complaints-26656081
Former PC Michael Baines was hauled before an independent misconduct panel and sacked for gross misconduct after multiple complaints about his behaviour towards two fellow officers, referred to as 'Officer A' and 'Officer B', at Merseyside Police's training academy.
But it has emerged that an unnamed representative of the Police Federation, the union which represents rank and file officers, is also subject to misconduct proceedings. An independent misconduct panel into PC Baines' behaviour noted in a written judgment: "Officers A and B have been involved in separate misconduct proceedings against a Police Federation representative who attempted to persuade them to drop their allegations against PC Baines.
"Officer A and Officer B are understandably upset about this and they are also dissatisfied with the way in which they were treated by the Academy."
The panel heard the most serious allegation against the ex officer was on a group training run on September 15, 2021, when one of the women, referred to in the hearing as 'Officer B', fell to the back of the group.
According to misconduct panel's written ruling: "It appeared to [Officer B] that you were deliberately running behind her, and during that run, she [Officer B] stopped three times expecting you to overtake her, you did not.
"When she stopped for a 4th time she said: 'Oh, Mike you don’t have to wait for me, go and catch up with the others' to which you replied words to the effect of 'I’ve got no motivation unless I’m watching your a***'.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/female-officers-told-drop-complaints-26656081
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For those wishing to post in this thread
1. Do not be rude to others
2. No need to get personal
patience is running thin at the moment.
1. Do not be rude to others
2. No need to get personal
patience is running thin at the moment.
KingKhanWC
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...ke-arrests-in-online-child-sexual-abuse-cases
I wonder why?
It seems police themselves are sexual predators more and more.
900 people ever being accused of a sex crime or domestic abuse out of a workforce of nearly 50,000 is massively below what the rate would be for the full UK population.
KingKhanWC
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MET dont have 50,000 police officers. We are talking about active police officers, not pen pushers.
For police who are supposed to protect the public, who should be vetted etc, this is a huge number.
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The 900 figure you reference isn't just of police officers, it's of all employees of which they do have nearly 50,000. A significant majority of those are officers however.
Agreed the police should be vetted, which the fact that the proportion of their employees that have sex offence and domestic abuse allegations against them is so much lower than the general population suggests is being done, clearly some bad eggs will always get past that unfortunately. A reminder as well that these are allegations not convictions.
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KingKhanWC
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It actually , 1,071 officers and other staff according to the BBC. Ive not read any clarification what their positions were. How many were high ranking , how many detectives etc
For me even 10 cops is a huge issue as they are trusted by the public.
You are welcome to your view,there is nothing more to discuss esp as my posts are edited for some reason.
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I’m confused
1) we both condemn police officers who commit crime, so where is the issue?
2) why do you want my view on this topic?
3) what makes you believe I have any answers to your question?
4) what am I running from?
Out of curiosity, are you suggesting an allegation (regardless of whether proven or not) of a sexual offence/domestic abuse should be enough to bar someone from ever working for a police force? That's the only realistic way I see of reducing that number to one that you don't see as a huge issue.
KingKhanWC
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Possibly, it depends on the allegation. However in general unless someone has been proven guilty they should be free to live and work.
The other issue is the Police force has been covering this up, fellow officers have hidden allegations and also had fun in wattasp groups. It does seem this is systematic in the MET. If I had a daughter who is 16, I'd advise her not to call the police on her own.
KingKhanWC
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What makes you believe I have to then answer your questions? You ran, no need to discuss this further.
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Once again to ensure that debate happens in a respectful manner, I draw your attention to
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...for-posting-on-Time-Pass-and-Sports-Forum-***
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...for-posting-on-Time-Pass-and-Sports-Forum-***
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London Metropolitan Police officials and their counterparts in South Wales say a study they commissioned and participated in has given them the confidence to resume live, historical and operator-initiated facial recognition surveillance.
The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service and South Wales Police worked with the UK National Physical Laboratory to test systems that in some cases had been used until being paused.
The Met issued a statement saying, “We will used facial recognition technology as a first, but significant, step towards precise community-based crime fighting.”
South Wales officials likewise published a definitive statement: “Deployment of live facial recognition technology will now resume.”
The facial recognition research report, published last month by the national lab, with support from Ingenium Biometrics and the University of Kent, backs police claims that facial recognition surveillance can protect human rights as it reduces and prevents crime. Privacy advocates who have opposed its use say nothing has changed in the danger to rights that innocent people will face just by walking a sidewalk.
Testing simulated surveillance actions police might initiate, including changing settings to address different factors. In measuring live surveillance, researchers used the default setting of Neoface software.
When checking against 10,000 reference images, one in 6,000 people were falsely matched and there was “no statistically significant race and gender bias,” according to a statement issued by the Met.
False matches rose to one in 60,000 when a watch list contained 1,000 images.
According to the report, previous versions of NEC’s NeoFace were notably less exacting, when testing against a watch list of “between 2,000 and 4,000” over four deployments showed an average false positive rate of 1 in 1,000.
Privacy advocacy Big Brother Watch condemned the report, issuing a statement saying, “1 in 6,000 people being wrongly flagged by facial recognition is nothing to boast about.”
The group says this type of surveillance not only is not governed by a UK law, but it has not been subject of parliamentary debate.
The overturning of policing moratoriums by government is now a definable trend among developed economies, notably in the United States.
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202...to-resume-live-facial-recognition-deployments
The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service and South Wales Police worked with the UK National Physical Laboratory to test systems that in some cases had been used until being paused.
The Met issued a statement saying, “We will used facial recognition technology as a first, but significant, step towards precise community-based crime fighting.”
South Wales officials likewise published a definitive statement: “Deployment of live facial recognition technology will now resume.”
The facial recognition research report, published last month by the national lab, with support from Ingenium Biometrics and the University of Kent, backs police claims that facial recognition surveillance can protect human rights as it reduces and prevents crime. Privacy advocates who have opposed its use say nothing has changed in the danger to rights that innocent people will face just by walking a sidewalk.
Testing simulated surveillance actions police might initiate, including changing settings to address different factors. In measuring live surveillance, researchers used the default setting of Neoface software.
When checking against 10,000 reference images, one in 6,000 people were falsely matched and there was “no statistically significant race and gender bias,” according to a statement issued by the Met.
False matches rose to one in 60,000 when a watch list contained 1,000 images.
According to the report, previous versions of NEC’s NeoFace were notably less exacting, when testing against a watch list of “between 2,000 and 4,000” over four deployments showed an average false positive rate of 1 in 1,000.
Privacy advocacy Big Brother Watch condemned the report, issuing a statement saying, “1 in 6,000 people being wrongly flagged by facial recognition is nothing to boast about.”
The group says this type of surveillance not only is not governed by a UK law, but it has not been subject of parliamentary debate.
The overturning of policing moratoriums by government is now a definable trend among developed economies, notably in the United States.
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202...to-resume-live-facial-recognition-deployments
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Six police officers have had misconduct claims proven against them following a watchdog's investigation into "racist and ableist" messages.
The "abhorrent" messages, which included references to the Islamic festival of Eid, were sent to a WhatsApp chat shared by a group of officers from Greater Manchester Police.
The group chat - named "The Dispensables" - also contained ableist comments about people with autism, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The messages were discovered as part of a separate inquiry into the supply of steroids by one of the group's members.
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates described the messages as "inexcusable and abhorrent".
"Messages sent via WhatsApp and on any form of social media cannot be a hiding place for officers with these types of views," she said.
"Behaviour of this nature seriously undermines public confidence in policing. It is part of our role, and for police forces themselves, to ensure that it is rooted out and those responsible are held to account for their actions.
"The outcome sends a clear message that the use and failure to challenge offensive language is wholly unacceptable."
As part of the watchdog's investigation into the messages, gross misconduct claims were proven against one officer, PC Rebekah Kelly, who has been dismissed from the force without notice.
Former PC Ashley Feest and PC Graham Atkinson admitted breaching the standards of behaviour, also at the level of gross misconduct.
A panel ruled that former PC Feest would have been dismissed without notice, had he not already resigned, while PC Atkinson was given a final written warning.
PC Kelly and PC Feest had also been added to the police barred list, preventing them from serving as police officers, the IOPC said.
The investigation was launched during an inquiry into another officer, PC Aaron Jones, for supplying steroids. It was during that investigation that the messages were found.
PC Jones was sacked in December 2022 after a misconduct hearing found he had offered to supply steroids in January 2019.
He had already been sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours unpaid work in June 2022 after admitting two counts of offering to supply Class C drugs.
As part of the IOPC's investigation into the WhatsApp messages, two other officers had misconduct meetings in August 2022.
One officer was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy; conduct; equality and diversity; and challenging and reporting improper conduct and was given a written warning.
A sixth officer was found to have failed to challenge or report improper conduct and received management advice.
Sky News has contacted Greater Manchester Police for a comment.
SKY
The "abhorrent" messages, which included references to the Islamic festival of Eid, were sent to a WhatsApp chat shared by a group of officers from Greater Manchester Police.
The group chat - named "The Dispensables" - also contained ableist comments about people with autism, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The messages were discovered as part of a separate inquiry into the supply of steroids by one of the group's members.
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates described the messages as "inexcusable and abhorrent".
"Messages sent via WhatsApp and on any form of social media cannot be a hiding place for officers with these types of views," she said.
"Behaviour of this nature seriously undermines public confidence in policing. It is part of our role, and for police forces themselves, to ensure that it is rooted out and those responsible are held to account for their actions.
"The outcome sends a clear message that the use and failure to challenge offensive language is wholly unacceptable."
As part of the watchdog's investigation into the messages, gross misconduct claims were proven against one officer, PC Rebekah Kelly, who has been dismissed from the force without notice.
Former PC Ashley Feest and PC Graham Atkinson admitted breaching the standards of behaviour, also at the level of gross misconduct.
A panel ruled that former PC Feest would have been dismissed without notice, had he not already resigned, while PC Atkinson was given a final written warning.
PC Kelly and PC Feest had also been added to the police barred list, preventing them from serving as police officers, the IOPC said.
The investigation was launched during an inquiry into another officer, PC Aaron Jones, for supplying steroids. It was during that investigation that the messages were found.
PC Jones was sacked in December 2022 after a misconduct hearing found he had offered to supply steroids in January 2019.
He had already been sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours unpaid work in June 2022 after admitting two counts of offering to supply Class C drugs.
As part of the IOPC's investigation into the WhatsApp messages, two other officers had misconduct meetings in August 2022.
One officer was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy; conduct; equality and diversity; and challenging and reporting improper conduct and was given a written warning.
A sixth officer was found to have failed to challenge or report improper conduct and received management advice.
Sky News has contacted Greater Manchester Police for a comment.
SKY
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Stephen Lawrence's father says he will "never forgive the police" three decades after his son's murder.
Today marks 30 years since the 18-year-old was murdered in a racist attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, southeast London, on 22 April 1993.
His death changed the course of British history and shone a light on racism that permeated through police, public bodies and society as a whole.
But for his father Neville, the anniversary marks "30 years of pain and suffering for me and my family".
He told Sky News: "Remember this is my first child. The memories I have of Stephen will never go away. I will never forget them, never."
After Stephens death, the Lawrence family's lives were turned upside down in their fight for justice, after a police investigation tainted by racism meant it would take 20 years for the killers to be sentenced for murder.
David Norris and Gary Dobson were jailed while three others who were arrested were never prosecuted.
Norris and Dobson have never confessed.
At a parole hearing next year, Mr Lawrence may have the opportunity to face one of his son's murderers and hopes it may be a good opportunity for him to ask a question that's been on his mind for 30 years.
He added he has found peace and has been able to forgive the men that killed his son.
But the police, well that's a different matter.
In 1999 a report looking into the police handling of Stephen Lawrence's case found the investigation had been marred with incompetence and institutional racism.
"I would never forgive the police. As long as they can't accept what they're doing is wrong. Because if you don't accept it, its not going to change," he said.
In 2023 a review by Baroness Casey found the Met Police is "institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic".
"I am so disappointed.
"We are still facing the same kind of attitudes.
"Twenty years later for somebody else to come along and say the same thing. That shows you they have no intention of changing their behaviour."
He says his trust in police is so strained he wouldn't even consider calling them if he needed their help.
"If something happened to me tomorrow morning, who do I call? I wouldn't be calling a bunch of police because I know I wouldn't get the satisfaction of them treating me the way they are supposed to."
SKY
Today marks 30 years since the 18-year-old was murdered in a racist attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, southeast London, on 22 April 1993.
His death changed the course of British history and shone a light on racism that permeated through police, public bodies and society as a whole.
But for his father Neville, the anniversary marks "30 years of pain and suffering for me and my family".
He told Sky News: "Remember this is my first child. The memories I have of Stephen will never go away. I will never forget them, never."
After Stephens death, the Lawrence family's lives were turned upside down in their fight for justice, after a police investigation tainted by racism meant it would take 20 years for the killers to be sentenced for murder.
David Norris and Gary Dobson were jailed while three others who were arrested were never prosecuted.
Norris and Dobson have never confessed.
At a parole hearing next year, Mr Lawrence may have the opportunity to face one of his son's murderers and hopes it may be a good opportunity for him to ask a question that's been on his mind for 30 years.
He added he has found peace and has been able to forgive the men that killed his son.
But the police, well that's a different matter.
In 1999 a report looking into the police handling of Stephen Lawrence's case found the investigation had been marred with incompetence and institutional racism.
"I would never forgive the police. As long as they can't accept what they're doing is wrong. Because if you don't accept it, its not going to change," he said.
In 2023 a review by Baroness Casey found the Met Police is "institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic".
"I am so disappointed.
"We are still facing the same kind of attitudes.
"Twenty years later for somebody else to come along and say the same thing. That shows you they have no intention of changing their behaviour."
He says his trust in police is so strained he wouldn't even consider calling them if he needed their help.
"If something happened to me tomorrow morning, who do I call? I wouldn't be calling a bunch of police because I know I wouldn't get the satisfaction of them treating me the way they are supposed to."
SKY
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Former police officer found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of misconduct
A former police officer has been found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of misconduct in a public office.
Adnan Ali was charged over incidents between 2015 and 2019, involving young men and women on Greater Manchester Police's volunteer cadet scheme which he ran. He had denied the allegations.
Ali, a father-of-one, was arrested and suspended in October 2018, after GMP received a complaint that he had been behaving inappropriately towards a 16-year-old boy, Liverpool Crown Court was told.
Electronic devices were seized following his arrest, with officers finding thousands of messages and identifying further victims whose evidence was used to secure the charges which were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service in July 2021.
Sexualised messages were discovered on PC Ali's mobile phone, and a number of those who came forward reported being sexually assaulted by the officer, the trial heard.
Though Ali will be sentenced at a later date, he has already been dismissed from his job and barred from policing, when gross misconduct was proven in April 2022.
Following today's conviction, the force will suggest to the deputy mayor Kate Green that Ali, 36, should be ordered to forfeit his pension.
Chief Inspector Colin McFarlane told Sky News that the offences Ali had committed were "appalling" and "abhorrent behaviour", and that the force welcomes the decision of the courts.
Mr McFarlane said it was "very shocking" Ali exploited his position as a police officer, adding: "What is important to identify is that nobody coming into contact with police officers or staff should be exposed to harm, and clearly these young people have had that experience.
"Ali is responsible for the offences he committed, but I acknowledge that more could have been done to supervise him in his time at Greater Manchester Police."
He said that while he did not know Ali personally, it was clear from the evidence presented and his conviction that he had "no place in policing".
Following the charges, GMP said it was continuing action to "ensure predatory employees are rooted and booted out".
Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/former-p...-assault-and-15-counts-of-misconduct-12865118
A former police officer has been found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of misconduct in a public office.
Adnan Ali was charged over incidents between 2015 and 2019, involving young men and women on Greater Manchester Police's volunteer cadet scheme which he ran. He had denied the allegations.
Ali, a father-of-one, was arrested and suspended in October 2018, after GMP received a complaint that he had been behaving inappropriately towards a 16-year-old boy, Liverpool Crown Court was told.
Electronic devices were seized following his arrest, with officers finding thousands of messages and identifying further victims whose evidence was used to secure the charges which were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service in July 2021.
Sexualised messages were discovered on PC Ali's mobile phone, and a number of those who came forward reported being sexually assaulted by the officer, the trial heard.
Though Ali will be sentenced at a later date, he has already been dismissed from his job and barred from policing, when gross misconduct was proven in April 2022.
Following today's conviction, the force will suggest to the deputy mayor Kate Green that Ali, 36, should be ordered to forfeit his pension.
Chief Inspector Colin McFarlane told Sky News that the offences Ali had committed were "appalling" and "abhorrent behaviour", and that the force welcomes the decision of the courts.
Mr McFarlane said it was "very shocking" Ali exploited his position as a police officer, adding: "What is important to identify is that nobody coming into contact with police officers or staff should be exposed to harm, and clearly these young people have had that experience.
"Ali is responsible for the offences he committed, but I acknowledge that more could have been done to supervise him in his time at Greater Manchester Police."
He said that while he did not know Ali personally, it was clear from the evidence presented and his conviction that he had "no place in policing".
Following the charges, GMP said it was continuing action to "ensure predatory employees are rooted and booted out".
Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/former-p...-assault-and-15-counts-of-misconduct-12865118
KingKhanWC
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"Adnan Ali was charged over incidents between 2015 and 2019, involving young men and women on Greater Manchester Police's volunteer cadet scheme which he ran. He had denied the allegations."
Disgusting human if true!
The police should be given an extra 50% on their sentences imo, they are supposed to be in a role to protect the public.
Disgusting human if true!
The police should be given an extra 50% on their sentences imo, they are supposed to be in a role to protect the public.
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When such topics came up in social gatherings, I used to justify the slide in UK policing due to the lack funds, resourcing shortfalls etc.... but these bad apples within the force have nothing to do with less money being spent. Disgusting!
KingKhanWC
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Sadly it doesn't seem to be a few bad apples. The UK police force seem to have a systematic issue with officers being involved in sexual abuse of the public.
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A Metropolitan Police officer who stalked a woman he met while on duty has been sacked.
PC Jonathan Simon was given a 16-week suspended prison sentence in April but has now been dismissed from the force after his behaviour was classed as gross misconduct.
Sentencing him at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier in the year, district judge Daniel Sternberg said he had brought the Met into disrepute.
The hearing was told how PC Simon began dating his victim after meeting her on duty in May 2021 while attached to the force's east area command.
When the woman ended the relationship, the former officer continued to text, call and visit her - sometimes when he was on duty.
A document from the misconduct hearing, signed by assistant commissioner Barbara Gray, reads: "The public could not have confidence in PC Simon after he has shown himself capable of behaving in such a way.
"I know the public would not have confidence in the MPS if we appeared not to take a criminal conviction arising from such behaviour seriously."
The document said this is "especially true in the context of the grave and current public concern about police officers as perpetrators of violence against women and girls".
SKY
PC Jonathan Simon was given a 16-week suspended prison sentence in April but has now been dismissed from the force after his behaviour was classed as gross misconduct.
Sentencing him at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier in the year, district judge Daniel Sternberg said he had brought the Met into disrepute.
The hearing was told how PC Simon began dating his victim after meeting her on duty in May 2021 while attached to the force's east area command.
When the woman ended the relationship, the former officer continued to text, call and visit her - sometimes when he was on duty.
A document from the misconduct hearing, signed by assistant commissioner Barbara Gray, reads: "The public could not have confidence in PC Simon after he has shown himself capable of behaving in such a way.
"I know the public would not have confidence in the MPS if we appeared not to take a criminal conviction arising from such behaviour seriously."
The document said this is "especially true in the context of the grave and current public concern about police officers as perpetrators of violence against women and girls".
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The chief constable of Avon and Somerset police has admitted her force is “institutionally racist” and “likely” to be treating LGBTQ+ people, women and disabled people unfairly.
Sarah Crew said she was determined to fight an unjust system and would “root out” officers proved to be racist or behaving in a discriminatory way, and said she was not motivated by “wokeism or political correctness” but by “common sense”.
Crew announced the force was making some changes around stop and search and out of court disposals, moves especially aimed at helping young black men, and vowed to continue to work with officers and communities to change its ways.
Crew said Louise Casey’s damning review into the Metropolitan police, published in March, which found there was institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia in the force, was one of the catalysts for Avon and Somerset to examine itself.
She said: “It’s been a stark reminder for policing as a whole that the need for real and profound change is essential if we are to retain the public’s trust and confidence. I recognise the issues around race, sexism and homophobia at Avon and Somerset police. Perhaps not as stark as we’ve seen elsewhere, but they are here nonetheless.
“When it comes to race, I’m in no doubt that, by Baroness Casey’s criteria at least, Avon and Somerset police is institutionally racist. I must accept that the definition fits. I think it’s likely to be true for misogyny, homophobia, and disability as well, though the gaps in the data don’t give us the sense of scale, impact, or certainty that we have for race.”
Crew said she was not labelling everyone who worked for the force racist. “I’m not talking about what’s in the hearts and minds of most people who work for Avon and Somerset police. This is about recognising the structural and institutional barriers that exist and which put people at a disadvantage in the way they interact with policing because of their race.”
Related: Black people were three times more likely to receive Covid fines in England and Wales
Crew said the force had looked at how it carried out stop and searches. “All officers now receive regular refresher training on how to conduct fair and respectful stop searches, and the use of body-worn video to record all such interactions is mandatory.
“Internal and external scrutiny panels meet to review stop searches, to identify learning for individual officers and teams. A new stop search receipt is being developed to make it easier for people who have been stopped and searched to provide feedback. We are also working on a programme of online engagement to support young people in understanding their rights in stop and search.”
Plans are being developed to introduce a “chance to change” programme, which has been piloted by in West Yorkshire and London. Crew said she hoped the programme, which involves out of court disposals for low-level first-time offences, could help keep more young men of black heritage out of the criminal justice system.
Guardian
Sarah Crew said she was determined to fight an unjust system and would “root out” officers proved to be racist or behaving in a discriminatory way, and said she was not motivated by “wokeism or political correctness” but by “common sense”.
Crew announced the force was making some changes around stop and search and out of court disposals, moves especially aimed at helping young black men, and vowed to continue to work with officers and communities to change its ways.
Crew said Louise Casey’s damning review into the Metropolitan police, published in March, which found there was institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia in the force, was one of the catalysts for Avon and Somerset to examine itself.
She said: “It’s been a stark reminder for policing as a whole that the need for real and profound change is essential if we are to retain the public’s trust and confidence. I recognise the issues around race, sexism and homophobia at Avon and Somerset police. Perhaps not as stark as we’ve seen elsewhere, but they are here nonetheless.
“When it comes to race, I’m in no doubt that, by Baroness Casey’s criteria at least, Avon and Somerset police is institutionally racist. I must accept that the definition fits. I think it’s likely to be true for misogyny, homophobia, and disability as well, though the gaps in the data don’t give us the sense of scale, impact, or certainty that we have for race.”
Crew said she was not labelling everyone who worked for the force racist. “I’m not talking about what’s in the hearts and minds of most people who work for Avon and Somerset police. This is about recognising the structural and institutional barriers that exist and which put people at a disadvantage in the way they interact with policing because of their race.”
Related: Black people were three times more likely to receive Covid fines in England and Wales
Crew said the force had looked at how it carried out stop and searches. “All officers now receive regular refresher training on how to conduct fair and respectful stop searches, and the use of body-worn video to record all such interactions is mandatory.
“Internal and external scrutiny panels meet to review stop searches, to identify learning for individual officers and teams. A new stop search receipt is being developed to make it easier for people who have been stopped and searched to provide feedback. We are also working on a programme of online engagement to support young people in understanding their rights in stop and search.”
Plans are being developed to introduce a “chance to change” programme, which has been piloted by in West Yorkshire and London. Crew said she hoped the programme, which involves out of court disposals for low-level first-time offences, could help keep more young men of black heritage out of the criminal justice system.
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A major suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder is publicly named today for the first time, after a BBC investigation.
He is Matthew White, who died in 2021, aged 50. The BBC has found the Met Police seriously mishandled key inquiries related to him.
In response, the Met has taken the almost unprecedented step of naming White as a suspect.
"Unfortunately, too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation," says Scotland Yard.
"The impact of them continues to be seen," reads the statement from Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Stephen's mother, said there should be "serious sanctions" against the police officers who failed to investigate White, following the BBC's revelations.
"Only when police officers lose their jobs can the public have confidence that failure and incompetence will not be tolerated and that change will happen," she said.
The murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago is the UK's most notorious racist killing. The failure of the first police investigation prompted a landmark public inquiry which concluded the Met was institutionally racist.
Aged 18, Stephen was stabbed to death by a gang of young white men in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. He had been waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks.
The evidence against White gathered by the BBC raises questions about Scotland Yard's 2020 decision to stop investigating the case and implicates other suspects who remain free.
Five prime suspects became widely known after the murder, but the public inquiry said there were "five or six" attackers.
David Norris and Gary Dobson were given life sentences for the murder in 2012. The other three - Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt - have not been convicted of the crime.
The Met Police has consistently said there were six attackers, as Duwayne Brooks said on the night.
In 2020, Commissioner Cressida Dick declared the case "inactive", saying that all identified lines of inquiry had been followed. The commissioner said she had assured Stephen's family that police would investigate any new information.
The BBC decided to re-examine the case itself, tracing witnesses, getting sight of police documents, and piecing together 30 years of evidence.
Our investigation revealed evidence of White's central role in the case. He was initially known publicly as Witness K, granted this alias despite never really co-operating with police. In 2011, he was named publicly for the first time at the trial of Norris and Dobson, but only as a witness.
But we found that witnesses had said White told them he had been present during the attack, that evidence showed his alibi was false, and that police surveillance photos of White showed a resemblance to eyewitness accounts of an unidentified fair-haired attacker.
The BBC investigation reveals:
A relative of White tried to speak to the Met after the murder, but wrong information was entered into the police database and the lead was not pursued. When eventually traced by police 20 years later, the relative said White had admitted being present during the attack
Another witness told police in 2000 that White had admitted being part of the attack. The Met again failed to trace White's relative, who could have independently corroborated White's admission that he was there
The Met was asked in 1997 by another police force to consider whether White could have been present during the murder and then formally told to establish his role in the case, but this recommendation was not properly followed
White lied to police about where he had first heard about the attack and his alibi was false, but detectives accepted his claims
In 1993 White looked like the prominent unidentified attacker described by Stephen's friend Duwayne Brooks, but the Met failed to share the description with all investigators
Clive Driscoll, the officer who convicted two of Stephen's killers, said Cressida Dick suggested in 2012 he should not bother going after the other suspects, even though the trial judge had urged police to pursue them. Mr Driscoll went on to arrest White, but was then made to retire before he could complete his investigation
Responding to the BBC, the Met Police said White was arrested twice, in 2000 and 2013, and that files were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2005 and 2014. But on both occasions prosecutors said there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
The force said the handling of the approach by White's relative in 1993 was "a significant and regrettable error".
New evidence about the murder of Stephen Lawrence, uncovered by BBC investigative reporter, Daniel De Simone.
Lord Sentamu, the former Archbishop of York and an adviser to the 1998 Macpherson Inquiry into Stephen's murder, told the BBC that "we were misled" because of the wrong information on the police database about White's relative. It is "absolutely shocking", he said.
He said the "murder would have been resolved" in the 1990s had the Met followed leads on White properly.
He also revealed Sir William Macpherson, head of the inquiry, privately asked the Met what was being done to investigate White, but the inquiry did not receive an answer.
Former Det Ch Insp Driscoll told the BBC that the evidence showed that White had to be considered as the fair-haired attacker described by witnesses. "Short of a signed confession, I don't know what else you'd want," he said.
He said the Met should complete the investigation "for its own dignity and sanity".
But Dr Neville Lawrence, Stephen's father, said any further police inquiry should be conducted by another force. "They must be able to find a decent police force who could investigate," he told the BBC.
Although Matthew White, a drug user, died the year after the Met stopped investigating, the evidence further implicates the three prime suspects who are still alive.
The witness in 2000 told police White had admitted to being involved in the attack, and that he had named the Acourt brothers among others who also took part. The witness said White had told him Neil Acourt had "started getting silly with a knife, stabbing and cutting" Stephen, along with David Norris, who was eventually convicted of murder.
The BBC found Neil Acourt near his home in south-east England and challenged him over White's account of the killing. He gave no answer and fled.
Jamie Acourt also gave no response to the BBC's questions when we confronted him about the case outside City of London Magistrates' Court. He was attending a hearing related to his failure to pay back £90,000, which he made from conspiring to supply cannabis.
The BBC also wrote to both brothers and Luke Knight about the evidence relating to Matthew White, but none of them responded. All have previously denied any involvement.
The year before his death, White pleaded guilty to an attack on a black shop worker just a few hundred metres from where Stephen was stabbed to death.
According to the victim, White had repeatedly mentioned the murder case as he carried out the assault. The victim told the BBC that White had said he would be "Stephen Lawrenced".
The Met said it was sorry for not telling the victim that White had been charged with assaulting him. He first heard about the conviction from the BBC.
BBC
He is Matthew White, who died in 2021, aged 50. The BBC has found the Met Police seriously mishandled key inquiries related to him.
In response, the Met has taken the almost unprecedented step of naming White as a suspect.
"Unfortunately, too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation," says Scotland Yard.
"The impact of them continues to be seen," reads the statement from Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Stephen's mother, said there should be "serious sanctions" against the police officers who failed to investigate White, following the BBC's revelations.
"Only when police officers lose their jobs can the public have confidence that failure and incompetence will not be tolerated and that change will happen," she said.
The murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago is the UK's most notorious racist killing. The failure of the first police investigation prompted a landmark public inquiry which concluded the Met was institutionally racist.
Aged 18, Stephen was stabbed to death by a gang of young white men in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. He had been waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks.
The evidence against White gathered by the BBC raises questions about Scotland Yard's 2020 decision to stop investigating the case and implicates other suspects who remain free.
Five prime suspects became widely known after the murder, but the public inquiry said there were "five or six" attackers.
David Norris and Gary Dobson were given life sentences for the murder in 2012. The other three - Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt - have not been convicted of the crime.
The Met Police has consistently said there were six attackers, as Duwayne Brooks said on the night.
In 2020, Commissioner Cressida Dick declared the case "inactive", saying that all identified lines of inquiry had been followed. The commissioner said she had assured Stephen's family that police would investigate any new information.
The BBC decided to re-examine the case itself, tracing witnesses, getting sight of police documents, and piecing together 30 years of evidence.
Our investigation revealed evidence of White's central role in the case. He was initially known publicly as Witness K, granted this alias despite never really co-operating with police. In 2011, he was named publicly for the first time at the trial of Norris and Dobson, but only as a witness.
But we found that witnesses had said White told them he had been present during the attack, that evidence showed his alibi was false, and that police surveillance photos of White showed a resemblance to eyewitness accounts of an unidentified fair-haired attacker.
The BBC investigation reveals:
A relative of White tried to speak to the Met after the murder, but wrong information was entered into the police database and the lead was not pursued. When eventually traced by police 20 years later, the relative said White had admitted being present during the attack
Another witness told police in 2000 that White had admitted being part of the attack. The Met again failed to trace White's relative, who could have independently corroborated White's admission that he was there
The Met was asked in 1997 by another police force to consider whether White could have been present during the murder and then formally told to establish his role in the case, but this recommendation was not properly followed
White lied to police about where he had first heard about the attack and his alibi was false, but detectives accepted his claims
In 1993 White looked like the prominent unidentified attacker described by Stephen's friend Duwayne Brooks, but the Met failed to share the description with all investigators
Clive Driscoll, the officer who convicted two of Stephen's killers, said Cressida Dick suggested in 2012 he should not bother going after the other suspects, even though the trial judge had urged police to pursue them. Mr Driscoll went on to arrest White, but was then made to retire before he could complete his investigation
Responding to the BBC, the Met Police said White was arrested twice, in 2000 and 2013, and that files were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2005 and 2014. But on both occasions prosecutors said there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
The force said the handling of the approach by White's relative in 1993 was "a significant and regrettable error".
New evidence about the murder of Stephen Lawrence, uncovered by BBC investigative reporter, Daniel De Simone.
Lord Sentamu, the former Archbishop of York and an adviser to the 1998 Macpherson Inquiry into Stephen's murder, told the BBC that "we were misled" because of the wrong information on the police database about White's relative. It is "absolutely shocking", he said.
He said the "murder would have been resolved" in the 1990s had the Met followed leads on White properly.
He also revealed Sir William Macpherson, head of the inquiry, privately asked the Met what was being done to investigate White, but the inquiry did not receive an answer.
Former Det Ch Insp Driscoll told the BBC that the evidence showed that White had to be considered as the fair-haired attacker described by witnesses. "Short of a signed confession, I don't know what else you'd want," he said.
He said the Met should complete the investigation "for its own dignity and sanity".
But Dr Neville Lawrence, Stephen's father, said any further police inquiry should be conducted by another force. "They must be able to find a decent police force who could investigate," he told the BBC.
Although Matthew White, a drug user, died the year after the Met stopped investigating, the evidence further implicates the three prime suspects who are still alive.
The witness in 2000 told police White had admitted to being involved in the attack, and that he had named the Acourt brothers among others who also took part. The witness said White had told him Neil Acourt had "started getting silly with a knife, stabbing and cutting" Stephen, along with David Norris, who was eventually convicted of murder.
The BBC found Neil Acourt near his home in south-east England and challenged him over White's account of the killing. He gave no answer and fled.
Jamie Acourt also gave no response to the BBC's questions when we confronted him about the case outside City of London Magistrates' Court. He was attending a hearing related to his failure to pay back £90,000, which he made from conspiring to supply cannabis.
The BBC also wrote to both brothers and Luke Knight about the evidence relating to Matthew White, but none of them responded. All have previously denied any involvement.
The year before his death, White pleaded guilty to an attack on a black shop worker just a few hundred metres from where Stephen was stabbed to death.
According to the victim, White had repeatedly mentioned the murder case as he carried out the assault. The victim told the BBC that White had said he would be "Stephen Lawrenced".
The Met said it was sorry for not telling the victim that White had been charged with assaulting him. He first heard about the conviction from the BBC.
BBC
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Sir Mark Rowley said he will not tolerate officers taking the knee or wearing rainbow flags on duty anymore.
www.telegraph.co.uk
This is wonderful news! Better late than never but good to see establishments are realising the detrimental effects of Wokism!
Met chief cracks down on support for woke causes
Sir Mark Rowley sets out approach as he says: ‘There are very few causes policing should be attached to’
www.telegraph.co.uk
This is wonderful news! Better late than never but good to see establishments are realising the detrimental effects of Wokism!
KingKhanWC
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Good step, the UK police have become a laughing stock recently, prancing around on the steets, overweight and clueless of their own nations laws.
Police cannot entertain politics at all, they have to remain neutral.
Although I think there will be some backlash to this. The Woke ideology is not civilisation enhancing, its a deliberate extremist left wing idea to further their own desires.
Police cannot entertain politics at all, they have to remain neutral.
Although I think there will be some backlash to this. The Woke ideology is not civilisation enhancing, its a deliberate extremist left wing idea to further their own desires.
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with six counts of rape, one count of making threats to kill and a count of breaching a non-molestation order.
PC Cliff Mitchell, 23, has been suspended from duty and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.
The Met said a referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the case.
The force said a member of the public saw a woman in distress on Tuesday.
She was found at about 13:50 BST in Hackbridge, Sutton, south-west London.
'Horrific allegations'
An investigation was launched and the Met said it was established that its suspect was PC Mitchell, who was arrested. He was not on duty at the time.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said: "These are horrific allegations and the victim is being supported by specially trained officers.
"The arrest of a serving police officer on suspicion of such serious offences is extremely concerning and I recognise will cause considerable concern among London's communities.
"This is an active investigation and inquiries continue at pace."
PC Cliff Mitchell, 23, has been suspended from duty and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.
The Met said a referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the case.
The force said a member of the public saw a woman in distress on Tuesday.
She was found at about 13:50 BST in Hackbridge, Sutton, south-west London.
'Horrific allegations'
An investigation was launched and the Met said it was established that its suspect was PC Mitchell, who was arrested. He was not on duty at the time.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said: "These are horrific allegations and the victim is being supported by specially trained officers.
"The arrest of a serving police officer on suspicion of such serious offences is extremely concerning and I recognise will cause considerable concern among London's communities.
"This is an active investigation and inquiries continue at pace."
Five former Met Police officers have admitted sending racist messages on WhatsApp, following a BBC Newsnight investigation.
The men pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to sending grossly offensive racist messages, including about the Duchess of Sussex.
Other messages referenced the Prince and Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
The communications were sent between September 2020 and 2022.
According to the charges, the five men also made reference to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretary Priti Patel and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
The men served in various parts of the Met Police but all spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group. The five, who retired between 2001 and 2015, were charged under the Communications Act 2003.
The ex-officers are:
Peter Booth, 66, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, who pleaded guilty to four counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in April 2001
Robert Lewis, 62, of Camberley, Surrey. He admitted eight counts of the same offence. He retired from the Met in May 2015 and became a Home Office official before he was dismissed for gross misconduct last November, according to the government department
Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, who pleaded guilty to three counts. He retired from the Met in May 2012
Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, also entered guilty pleas to three counts. He retired from the Met in June 2015
Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, pleaded guilty to one count. He retired from the Met in August 2009
Another former Met officer, Michael Chadwell, denied one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in November 2015.
The 62-year-old, from Liss, Hampshire, will stand trial on 6 November at City of London Magistrates' Court.
The other officers will be sentenced on the same day and at the same court at the conclusion of his trial. All six have been granted unconditional bail.
The charges came after a BBC Newsnight investigation in October that prompted a probe by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
The men pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to sending grossly offensive racist messages, including about the Duchess of Sussex.
Other messages referenced the Prince and Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
The communications were sent between September 2020 and 2022.
According to the charges, the five men also made reference to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretary Priti Patel and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
The men served in various parts of the Met Police but all spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group. The five, who retired between 2001 and 2015, were charged under the Communications Act 2003.
The ex-officers are:
Peter Booth, 66, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, who pleaded guilty to four counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in April 2001
Robert Lewis, 62, of Camberley, Surrey. He admitted eight counts of the same offence. He retired from the Met in May 2015 and became a Home Office official before he was dismissed for gross misconduct last November, according to the government department
Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, who pleaded guilty to three counts. He retired from the Met in May 2012
Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, also entered guilty pleas to three counts. He retired from the Met in June 2015
Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, pleaded guilty to one count. He retired from the Met in August 2009
Another former Met officer, Michael Chadwell, denied one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in November 2015.
The 62-year-old, from Liss, Hampshire, will stand trial on 6 November at City of London Magistrates' Court.
The other officers will be sentenced on the same day and at the same court at the conclusion of his trial. All six have been granted unconditional bail.
The charges came after a BBC Newsnight investigation in October that prompted a probe by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
KingKhanWC
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The MET should be closed down with an new force replacing them. The racism and sexual assaults are an epidemic.
When in London, I give these scumbags no respect if they ever approach me.
When in London, I give these scumbags no respect if they ever approach me.
ElRaja
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the police force exists only in name, i cant remember the last time i saw a bobby on the beat in my borough, they simply dont even care about policing more minor incidences, was it not for the majority of peoples general proclivity to adhere to the laws london would be an absolute jungle.
met police start at £35k and go up to £55k if u do 7 years, NYPD salary after 5 years is £100k equiv, now im not saying nypd are saints, but the little time ive spent in nypd the cops have far more respect from the locals, and lets say an average of £45k in London is not a good salary, no way are you gonna attract people who have any competence to be in a positon to communicate and police people on that salary.
met police start at £35k and go up to £55k if u do 7 years, NYPD salary after 5 years is £100k equiv, now im not saying nypd are saints, but the little time ive spent in nypd the cops have far more respect from the locals, and lets say an average of £45k in London is not a good salary, no way are you gonna attract people who have any competence to be in a positon to communicate and police people on that salary.
KingKhanWC
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Lets be frank bro, most people who want to be cops in the UK were bullied at school or suffered from insecurity , lack of confidence or enjoy power. Such people do not help with crime but make it worse. Cop stations have bars, where they drink and do drugs on a nightly basis.
There are good UK police but the days of the local friendly bobby are long gone here.
ElRaja
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its not the be all and end all, but pay em more and u will actually have competition for places, i cant think of one kid i grew up with who even considered being a cop. ironically during that time there was a police officer designated to my school, it was mad rough, but in today's time there would be no way a police officer would be designated to a school.
fundamentally there needs to be a revaluation of how a modern city needs to be policed. i dont have the answers, but its clearly not working right now.
KingKhanWC
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Pay them double but its an issue within society. British men and women in the 2nd world war were strong humans with principles. Now current generations are lazy, weak and greedy, along with having so many vices. This is seen in many public officials not just the police.
Nobody respects police in London(MET). People now feel in danger when a cop approaches them. Something needs to change.
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'Magaluf' WhatsApp group of shame ends careers of three police officers.
The careers of three young police constables ended in disgrace after anti-corruption detectives obtained "deeply offensive" chat logs from a WhatsApp group titled 'Magaluf'.
Bradley Johnson, Thomas Taylor and Conor O'Hare did not attempt to defend themselves and resigned before they could be sacked after Merseyside Police launched misconduct proceedings over the contents of 5,394 messages sent over a five month period in 2022.
At an accelerated misconduct hearing at Merseyside Police HQ today, chaired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, it emerged how the officers sent "vile" messages about female officers, who were "seriously affected" as they considered the three men "good colleagues".
The three officers were each charged with breaching standards of professional behaviour relating to integrity; authority; respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct.
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker of the force's Professional Standards Department (PSD), presenting the case for the Appropriate Authority (the force), told CC Kennedy: "The Appropriate Authority's case is very simple.
"Those messages are vile in nature. At times racist, at times towards refugees, at times towards female officers and to women in general. Further evidence shows they were willing to act unlawfully, taking illicit drugs and driving without a licence in a foreign jurisdiction."
A sample of the messages were made public, although after representations from the Police Federation the messages referring to female officers were redacted due to the effect on the victims' wellbeing.
One conversation, discussing a trip to Poland, the three officers joked about tricking Ukrainian refugees into sex for "green cards". One officer wrote: "We need a threesome pic in the Poland."
Another replied: "With a refugee sat on each of our d****." One officer added: "Promise them a green card, s*** them, then fly back home."
In another chat, the officers discussed drink driving and taking cocaine in Magaluf. One said "You drinking?"
Another replied "Naaaaa mate but we can still do beak [cocaine] cannot we?"
His colleague said: "Yee I’m sound driving after beak to be fair, drift round corners and that."
The officers even joked about the Professional Standards Department (PSD) taking a dim view of the messages, stating: "(PSD it’s a joke chill boi’s)"
One of the disgraced constables added: "(It's not)."
In another exchange, they discussed driving despite one of the officers not having passed his driving test. One officer advised: "Get a blag license or something when I went on them things in Turkey they just gave us a form to put our license number on."
Finding each officer guilty of gross misconduct, Chief Constable Kennedy said the messages showed: "A complete lack of courtesy and respect to their colleagues, who considered them to be good colleagues."
She highlighted how the messages discriminated against refugees and female officers, with persistent and repeated use of racially abusive and derogatory language.
She said the officers had undermined trust in the force, at a time when national scandals have placed pressure on public confidence in policing. The three will now be placed on the College of Policing barred list, meaning they are prohibited from holding any job in policing in the UK.
Chief Superintendent Jennifer Wilson, head of Merseyside Police's Professional Standards Department, said after the hearing: “These former officers do not deserve to have ever been members of Merseyside Police.
“The messages they shared were abhorrent and deeply offensive and showed absolutely no respect for their colleagues and the wider public. To also discuss planning to commit criminal offences, including taking drugs and driving abroad without a driving licence, also has a hugely damaging effect on the public’s perception of officers having the highest standards of integrity both on and off duty.
“I know that the whole of Merseyside Police will feel disgusted and let down by the actions of their former colleagues and how it reflects on the rest of the force and I am sure the public feel likewise.
“I want to be clear that their appalling behaviour in no way reflects the behaviour of the vast majority of our hard-working officers and staff who behave in a professional, lawful and respectful manner at all times.
“There is no place in Merseyside Police for anyone who shares or endorses these views or behaviour and we will take swift and robust action to investigate anyone whose behaviour falls short of our high standards and take any necessary action to remove them.
“All officers and members of staff are encouraged to challenge any such behaviour they witness, so it can be addressed and any necessary action taken. It is important that our officers and staff feel supported when they come forward and that we offer them easy ways to talk to us about any concerns, such as our Call it Out tool and the Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line.
“We actively promote an inclusive culture within Merseyside Police including supporting staff networks and being part of the inclusive companies network to lead the campaign for pioneering change and moving towards creating a fairer and more inclusive workplace.
“Trust in policing is very much in the public spotlight at the minute and I want the people of Merseyside to have confidence that they are being policed by those who abide by the highest standards. I hope that people will take some reassurance from the fact that it was due to a thorough investigation by the force’s anti-corruption unit that these three individuals were brought to task.”
ECHO
The careers of three young police constables ended in disgrace after anti-corruption detectives obtained "deeply offensive" chat logs from a WhatsApp group titled 'Magaluf'.
Bradley Johnson, Thomas Taylor and Conor O'Hare did not attempt to defend themselves and resigned before they could be sacked after Merseyside Police launched misconduct proceedings over the contents of 5,394 messages sent over a five month period in 2022.
At an accelerated misconduct hearing at Merseyside Police HQ today, chaired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, it emerged how the officers sent "vile" messages about female officers, who were "seriously affected" as they considered the three men "good colleagues".
The three officers were each charged with breaching standards of professional behaviour relating to integrity; authority; respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct.
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker of the force's Professional Standards Department (PSD), presenting the case for the Appropriate Authority (the force), told CC Kennedy: "The Appropriate Authority's case is very simple.
"Those messages are vile in nature. At times racist, at times towards refugees, at times towards female officers and to women in general. Further evidence shows they were willing to act unlawfully, taking illicit drugs and driving without a licence in a foreign jurisdiction."
A sample of the messages were made public, although after representations from the Police Federation the messages referring to female officers were redacted due to the effect on the victims' wellbeing.
One conversation, discussing a trip to Poland, the three officers joked about tricking Ukrainian refugees into sex for "green cards". One officer wrote: "We need a threesome pic in the Poland."
Another replied: "With a refugee sat on each of our d****." One officer added: "Promise them a green card, s*** them, then fly back home."
In another chat, the officers discussed drink driving and taking cocaine in Magaluf. One said "You drinking?"
Another replied "Naaaaa mate but we can still do beak [cocaine] cannot we?"
His colleague said: "Yee I’m sound driving after beak to be fair, drift round corners and that."
The officers even joked about the Professional Standards Department (PSD) taking a dim view of the messages, stating: "(PSD it’s a joke chill boi’s)"
One of the disgraced constables added: "(It's not)."
In another exchange, they discussed driving despite one of the officers not having passed his driving test. One officer advised: "Get a blag license or something when I went on them things in Turkey they just gave us a form to put our license number on."
Finding each officer guilty of gross misconduct, Chief Constable Kennedy said the messages showed: "A complete lack of courtesy and respect to their colleagues, who considered them to be good colleagues."
She highlighted how the messages discriminated against refugees and female officers, with persistent and repeated use of racially abusive and derogatory language.
She said the officers had undermined trust in the force, at a time when national scandals have placed pressure on public confidence in policing. The three will now be placed on the College of Policing barred list, meaning they are prohibited from holding any job in policing in the UK.
Chief Superintendent Jennifer Wilson, head of Merseyside Police's Professional Standards Department, said after the hearing: “These former officers do not deserve to have ever been members of Merseyside Police.
“The messages they shared were abhorrent and deeply offensive and showed absolutely no respect for their colleagues and the wider public. To also discuss planning to commit criminal offences, including taking drugs and driving abroad without a driving licence, also has a hugely damaging effect on the public’s perception of officers having the highest standards of integrity both on and off duty.
“I know that the whole of Merseyside Police will feel disgusted and let down by the actions of their former colleagues and how it reflects on the rest of the force and I am sure the public feel likewise.
“I want to be clear that their appalling behaviour in no way reflects the behaviour of the vast majority of our hard-working officers and staff who behave in a professional, lawful and respectful manner at all times.
“There is no place in Merseyside Police for anyone who shares or endorses these views or behaviour and we will take swift and robust action to investigate anyone whose behaviour falls short of our high standards and take any necessary action to remove them.
“All officers and members of staff are encouraged to challenge any such behaviour they witness, so it can be addressed and any necessary action taken. It is important that our officers and staff feel supported when they come forward and that we offer them easy ways to talk to us about any concerns, such as our Call it Out tool and the Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line.
“We actively promote an inclusive culture within Merseyside Police including supporting staff networks and being part of the inclusive companies network to lead the campaign for pioneering change and moving towards creating a fairer and more inclusive workplace.
“Trust in policing is very much in the public spotlight at the minute and I want the people of Merseyside to have confidence that they are being policed by those who abide by the highest standards. I hope that people will take some reassurance from the fact that it was due to a thorough investigation by the force’s anti-corruption unit that these three individuals were brought to task.”
ECHO
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WicketLord
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Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said 53-year-old Andrew Talbot, who worked in its serious crime division, was first arrested in 2020 and since been suspended from duty.
Keith Bretherton, 49, of Wigan, who is not a GMP officer, was also charged as a result of the investigation.
Both are due to appear at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates' Court later.
A GMP representative said the allegations relate to "incidents between 2017 and 2021", which the force's anti-corruption unit had first become aware of in February 2020.
They said PC Talbot was arrested in the same month, while Mr Bretherton was arrested in June 2021.
They added that both were charged earlier in September "upon receipt of authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service".
PC Talbot has been charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs, possessing ammunition, failure to comply with a S.49 RIPA notice, theft and intent to supply Class A drugs.
He will also face a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, three of misconduct in public office and three of accessing police systems without authority.
Mr Bretherton has been charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, possessing Class A drugs, and possessing Class B drugs.
Keith Bretherton, 49, of Wigan, who is not a GMP officer, was also charged as a result of the investigation.
Both are due to appear at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates' Court later.
A GMP representative said the allegations relate to "incidents between 2017 and 2021", which the force's anti-corruption unit had first become aware of in February 2020.
They said PC Talbot was arrested in the same month, while Mr Bretherton was arrested in June 2021.
They added that both were charged earlier in September "upon receipt of authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service".
PC Talbot has been charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs, possessing ammunition, failure to comply with a S.49 RIPA notice, theft and intent to supply Class A drugs.
He will also face a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, three of misconduct in public office and three of accessing police systems without authority.
Mr Bretherton has been charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, possessing Class A drugs, and possessing Class B drugs.
Greater Manchester Police officer charged with drugs and conspiracy offences
Andrew Talbot, who worked in Greater Manchester Police's serious crime division, will face 13 charges.
www.bbc.com
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Chris Kaba: Home secretary orders review into armed policing.
Suella Braverman has said armed police must not fear "ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties" after a marksman was charged with murder.
The home secretary ordered a review into armed policing after dozens of officers in London handed in their weapons, saying they were worried about the murder charge.
Unarmed Chris Kaba, 24, died after he was shot in south London last year.
A Metropolitan Police officer appeared in court on Thursday.
Ms Braverman said on Sunday that officers have to make "split-second decisions" and risk "their lives to keep us safe".
The Met said many firearms officers were "worried" about how the charging decision "impacts on them".
A source suggested that more than 100 officers have handed in what is known as a ticket permitting them to carry firearms.
Armed officers from other forces are being deployed as a contingency measure.
The force said its own officers still make up the vast majority of armed police in the capital, but they were being supported by a limited number of firearms officers from neighbouring forces.
Ms Braverman said people "depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us".
Mr Kaba died after a police operation in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022.
He was hit by a gunshot fired by a Met Police officer into the vehicle he was driving and died in hospital the following day, an inquest was told.
The construction worker was months away from becoming a father when he was shot.
His death prompted a number of protests, particularly among London's black communities.
On Saturday, the Met said firearms officers were concerned that the Crown Prosecution Service bringing a charge against the officer "signals a shift in the way the decisions they take in the most challenging circumstances will be judged".
Source: BBC
Suella Braverman has said armed police must not fear "ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties" after a marksman was charged with murder.
The home secretary ordered a review into armed policing after dozens of officers in London handed in their weapons, saying they were worried about the murder charge.
Unarmed Chris Kaba, 24, died after he was shot in south London last year.
A Metropolitan Police officer appeared in court on Thursday.
Ms Braverman said on Sunday that officers have to make "split-second decisions" and risk "their lives to keep us safe".
The Met said many firearms officers were "worried" about how the charging decision "impacts on them".
A source suggested that more than 100 officers have handed in what is known as a ticket permitting them to carry firearms.
Armed officers from other forces are being deployed as a contingency measure.
The force said its own officers still make up the vast majority of armed police in the capital, but they were being supported by a limited number of firearms officers from neighbouring forces.
Ms Braverman said people "depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us".
Mr Kaba died after a police operation in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022.
He was hit by a gunshot fired by a Met Police officer into the vehicle he was driving and died in hospital the following day, an inquest was told.
The construction worker was months away from becoming a father when he was shot.
His death prompted a number of protests, particularly among London's black communities.
On Saturday, the Met said firearms officers were concerned that the Crown Prosecution Service bringing a charge against the officer "signals a shift in the way the decisions they take in the most challenging circumstances will be judged".
Source: BBC
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Police officers widely misusing body-worn cameras
Police officers are switching off their body-worn cameras when force is used, as well as deleting footage and sharing videos on WhatsApp.
A BBC investigation has uncovered more than 150 reports of camera misuse by forces in England and Wales - described as "shocking" by a leading officer.
In one case, siblings faced a two-year legal battle over footage showing officers' use of force against them.
The Home Office says police use of cameras must be lawful and justified.
The roll-out of body-worn cameras, costing at least £90m over the past decade, was intended to benefit both victims and the police - protecting officers against malicious complaints and improving the quality of evidence collected.
But during a two-year investigation, the BBC has obtained reports of misuse from Freedom of Information requests, police sources, misconduct hearings and regulator reports.
The cameras were introduced to improve policing transparency, but we found more than 150 camera misuse reports with cases to answer over misconduct, recommendations for learning or where complaints were upheld.
The failures uncovered by the BBC are "unlawful" in some cases, says the National Police Chief Council's lead for body-worn video, Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell.
"Those incidents go to the heart of what undermines confidence in policing," he says.
He believes more footage should now be released in order to improve public trust.
BBC
Police officers are switching off their body-worn cameras when force is used, as well as deleting footage and sharing videos on WhatsApp.
A BBC investigation has uncovered more than 150 reports of camera misuse by forces in England and Wales - described as "shocking" by a leading officer.
In one case, siblings faced a two-year legal battle over footage showing officers' use of force against them.
The Home Office says police use of cameras must be lawful and justified.
The roll-out of body-worn cameras, costing at least £90m over the past decade, was intended to benefit both victims and the police - protecting officers against malicious complaints and improving the quality of evidence collected.
But during a two-year investigation, the BBC has obtained reports of misuse from Freedom of Information requests, police sources, misconduct hearings and regulator reports.
The cameras were introduced to improve policing transparency, but we found more than 150 camera misuse reports with cases to answer over misconduct, recommendations for learning or where complaints were upheld.
The failures uncovered by the BBC are "unlawful" in some cases, says the National Police Chief Council's lead for body-worn video, Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell.
"Those incidents go to the heart of what undermines confidence in policing," he says.
He believes more footage should now be released in order to improve public trust.
BBC
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Met Police question London family of doctor in Gaza
A surgeon from London working in Gaza City has described how police turned up at his UK home to question his wife.
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who is based at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, told BBC's Newsnight that to have his family "harassed in this way is just bizarre".
The Met Police said Dr Abu-Sittah's home was visited by officers because the force received a report that "a man was planning to travel to a warzone".
He said he had taken up the matter with his lawyers.
Dr Abu-Sittah explained: "I need to find out why someone thought it would be a good idea to show up at my house and ask my wife which hospital I worked at, why did I go [to Gaza], who paid for my ticket and which charity do I work for.
"My family are seeing this bombing unfold knowing full well that I am in the midst of it... It's a kind of brutish attempt at harassment and silencing."
He said it was his duty "to bear witness to the carnage" seen in Gaza, adding: "As if my wife did not have enough to worry about that she had to endure this today (Monday)."
Dr Abu-Sittah spoke of the dire conditions he was working in, with children comprising 40% of the patients he has seen.
He added that resources were running out fast with water pressure now insufficient to supply some of the equipment.
"The surgical capacity of the hospital is unable to deal with the sheer number of wounded, 9,000 in 10 days," Dr Abu-Sittah said.
"Fifty families here have been wiped off the civil register [in the hospital area], from grandparents to newborns."
A Met Police spokesperson said: "On 16 October, police officers responding to a report that a man was planning to travel to a warzone attended an address in north London where they spoke with one of the occupants.
"Having identified that the man had left the UK for humanitarian purposes, the officers signposted the occupant to current FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) advice."
BBC
A surgeon from London working in Gaza City has described how police turned up at his UK home to question his wife.
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who is based at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, told BBC's Newsnight that to have his family "harassed in this way is just bizarre".
The Met Police said Dr Abu-Sittah's home was visited by officers because the force received a report that "a man was planning to travel to a warzone".
He said he had taken up the matter with his lawyers.
Dr Abu-Sittah explained: "I need to find out why someone thought it would be a good idea to show up at my house and ask my wife which hospital I worked at, why did I go [to Gaza], who paid for my ticket and which charity do I work for.
"My family are seeing this bombing unfold knowing full well that I am in the midst of it... It's a kind of brutish attempt at harassment and silencing."
He said it was his duty "to bear witness to the carnage" seen in Gaza, adding: "As if my wife did not have enough to worry about that she had to endure this today (Monday)."
Dr Abu-Sittah spoke of the dire conditions he was working in, with children comprising 40% of the patients he has seen.
He added that resources were running out fast with water pressure now insufficient to supply some of the equipment.
"The surgical capacity of the hospital is unable to deal with the sheer number of wounded, 9,000 in 10 days," Dr Abu-Sittah said.
"Fifty families here have been wiped off the civil register [in the hospital area], from grandparents to newborns."
A Met Police spokesperson said: "On 16 October, police officers responding to a report that a man was planning to travel to a warzone attended an address in north London where they spoke with one of the occupants.
"Having identified that the man had left the UK for humanitarian purposes, the officers signposted the occupant to current FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) advice."
BBC
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Police sergeant mocked woman shot in head
Two Merseyside police officers resigned before they could be kicked off the force for sharing thousands of messages including racist, homophobic, misogynistic and transphobic slurs.
Former Sergeant David Shaw was also found to be in contact with a man he knew to be charged with a criminal offence, and to have failed to renew his declaration of a business interest in a joinery firm he was running on the side
The details emerged during an accelerated misconduct hearing at Merseyside Police HQ on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. According to the misconduct charges, Shaw shared a vile joke about Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, two days after she was shot in the head at a party in South London in May 2021, suffering severe injuries.
Shaw sent a picture of Ms Johnson to his colleague, PC Chris Gawronek, with an offensive caption. Gawronek responded with a laughing face emoji.
That message was just one exchange among 17,339 messages sent between 2018 and 2022 that were recovered by detectives from the Professional Standards Department (PSD).
A sample of the messages included jokes making light of violence against women; suggestions people of different sexual orientations or gender identities were "mentally ill", and mocking female colleagues on the force.
After a colleague said one of his messages, also involving a racist joke, was "awful", Shaw quipped: "For the purposes of any PSD investigation I agree they are awful."
The two officers did not attempt to fight for their careers after the force accused them of multiple breaches of professional standards, and resigned before the hearing without responding to the charges.
Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Tobin, presenting the case for the force, told the hearing the messages contained many examples of bias against people of certain "sexual orientations, gender, gender identity and race" as well as mocking violence against women and girls.
PC Chris McGlade, from the Merseyside Police Federation which represents rank and file officers, said he had received no instructions ahead of the hearing but had recently received an email from Shaw defending his interest in his joinery business.
The email suggested he had never prioritised his firm "above his policing duties", but did not address the other charges.
CC Kennedy said Shaw and Gawronek had "undermined public confidence in policing" at a time when she had made rebuilding trust in communities her "number one priority", and "completely failed to abide by the oath they took".
She said: "Both parties should have stopped these vile and abhorrent messages. Instead they have both been party to and instigators of many vile and abhorrent messages over a four year period.
"The communities of Merseyside would be quite rightly disgusted by this case".
Both officers were found guilty of gross misconduct by CC Kennedy for breaching standards of behaviour around Discreditable Conduct, Authority, Respect & Courtesy and Challenging and reporting Improper Conduct. Shaw also faced two additional breaches relating to Honesty and Integrity surrounding his association with a criminal, whose name was redacted, and Orders and Instructions, for failing to declare his continuing interest in a joinery business.
CC Kennedy said she had "no hesitation" in sanctioning them with immediate dismissal had they remained on the force. Both former officers' names will be added to the College of Policing barred list prohibiting them from holding any other policing job in the UK.
Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Baker, head of the force’s Professional Standards Unit, said: “The behaviour of our officers and staff, both on and off duty, is key to us having the confidence and support of the communities we serve.
“The public must have faith that we can police fairly and impartially and that the people we employ not only adhere by the highest standards but also seek to actively challenge and report when they identify improper conduct.
“The behaviour of these officers was deplorable and should not be seen as a reflection of the actions or attitudes of the vast majority of our hard-working officers and staff.
“We actively encourage all staff and officers to challenge inappropriate behaviour, anonymously if required, through our Call it Out campaign.
“I hope instead of a negative the public will look at this as Merseyside Police proactively identifying inappropriate behaviour, challenging it and removing those responsible for it.”
Source: liverpoolecho
Two Merseyside police officers resigned before they could be kicked off the force for sharing thousands of messages including racist, homophobic, misogynistic and transphobic slurs.
Former Sergeant David Shaw was also found to be in contact with a man he knew to be charged with a criminal offence, and to have failed to renew his declaration of a business interest in a joinery firm he was running on the side
The details emerged during an accelerated misconduct hearing at Merseyside Police HQ on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. According to the misconduct charges, Shaw shared a vile joke about Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, two days after she was shot in the head at a party in South London in May 2021, suffering severe injuries.
Shaw sent a picture of Ms Johnson to his colleague, PC Chris Gawronek, with an offensive caption. Gawronek responded with a laughing face emoji.
That message was just one exchange among 17,339 messages sent between 2018 and 2022 that were recovered by detectives from the Professional Standards Department (PSD).
A sample of the messages included jokes making light of violence against women; suggestions people of different sexual orientations or gender identities were "mentally ill", and mocking female colleagues on the force.
After a colleague said one of his messages, also involving a racist joke, was "awful", Shaw quipped: "For the purposes of any PSD investigation I agree they are awful."
The two officers did not attempt to fight for their careers after the force accused them of multiple breaches of professional standards, and resigned before the hearing without responding to the charges.
Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Tobin, presenting the case for the force, told the hearing the messages contained many examples of bias against people of certain "sexual orientations, gender, gender identity and race" as well as mocking violence against women and girls.
PC Chris McGlade, from the Merseyside Police Federation which represents rank and file officers, said he had received no instructions ahead of the hearing but had recently received an email from Shaw defending his interest in his joinery business.
The email suggested he had never prioritised his firm "above his policing duties", but did not address the other charges.
CC Kennedy said Shaw and Gawronek had "undermined public confidence in policing" at a time when she had made rebuilding trust in communities her "number one priority", and "completely failed to abide by the oath they took".
She said: "Both parties should have stopped these vile and abhorrent messages. Instead they have both been party to and instigators of many vile and abhorrent messages over a four year period.
"The communities of Merseyside would be quite rightly disgusted by this case".
Both officers were found guilty of gross misconduct by CC Kennedy for breaching standards of behaviour around Discreditable Conduct, Authority, Respect & Courtesy and Challenging and reporting Improper Conduct. Shaw also faced two additional breaches relating to Honesty and Integrity surrounding his association with a criminal, whose name was redacted, and Orders and Instructions, for failing to declare his continuing interest in a joinery business.
CC Kennedy said she had "no hesitation" in sanctioning them with immediate dismissal had they remained on the force. Both former officers' names will be added to the College of Policing barred list prohibiting them from holding any other policing job in the UK.
Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Baker, head of the force’s Professional Standards Unit, said: “The behaviour of our officers and staff, both on and off duty, is key to us having the confidence and support of the communities we serve.
“The public must have faith that we can police fairly and impartially and that the people we employ not only adhere by the highest standards but also seek to actively challenge and report when they identify improper conduct.
“The behaviour of these officers was deplorable and should not be seen as a reflection of the actions or attitudes of the vast majority of our hard-working officers and staff.
“We actively encourage all staff and officers to challenge inappropriate behaviour, anonymously if required, through our Call it Out campaign.
“I hope instead of a negative the public will look at this as Merseyside Police proactively identifying inappropriate behaviour, challenging it and removing those responsible for it.”
Source: liverpoolecho
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The Metropolitan Police firearms officer charged with the murder of Chris Kaba will be named, the Old Bailey has decided.
Mr Kaba, 24, died after being shot in a police operation in south London last year.
On Monday, a judge dismissed attempts by the officer, named only as NX121, to have his identity withheld from the public.
The officer was charged following the fatal shooting of Mr Kaba in Streatham.
At the Old Bailey the Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC decided the officer's name could be made public, along with his date of birth, on 30 January 2024.
The decision was made after media organisations including the BBC challenged the officer's legal application to protect his identity on the basis that confidence in the criminal justice system required cases to be held, wherever possible, in public.
The BBC does not currently know his identity.
The judge will continue to restrict publication of the address of the officer and any images or drawings of him.
Mr Kaba died from a single gunshot wound to the head after he was hemmed in by a police vehicle on 5 September 2022.
He was driving an Audi when he was followed by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.
As he turned into a residential street, he was blocked by a marked police car and a firearms officer fired one shot through the windscreen and hit Mr Kaba.
He was taken to hospital and died the following day, on 6 September.
The Met Police marksman was charged with murder on 20 September, with the Crown Prosecution Service choosing not to publicly name the officer, ahead of an application to keep him anonymous.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court the following day, where District Judge Nina Tempia put an order in place banning publication of anything that would identify the officer, ahead of further legal hearings at the Old Bailey.
A plea and trial preparation hearing is due to take place on 1 December, with a trial planned to start on 9 September next year.
Mr Kaba's family previously told the BBC they wanted the officer to face criminal charges.
Last month, hundreds of police officers in London turned in their weapons permits after officer NX121 was charged with murder.
The Met said many firearms officers were "worried" about how the charging decisioni "impacts on them".
Source: BBC
Mr Kaba, 24, died after being shot in a police operation in south London last year.
On Monday, a judge dismissed attempts by the officer, named only as NX121, to have his identity withheld from the public.
The officer was charged following the fatal shooting of Mr Kaba in Streatham.
At the Old Bailey the Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC decided the officer's name could be made public, along with his date of birth, on 30 January 2024.
The decision was made after media organisations including the BBC challenged the officer's legal application to protect his identity on the basis that confidence in the criminal justice system required cases to be held, wherever possible, in public.
The BBC does not currently know his identity.
The judge will continue to restrict publication of the address of the officer and any images or drawings of him.
Mr Kaba died from a single gunshot wound to the head after he was hemmed in by a police vehicle on 5 September 2022.
He was driving an Audi when he was followed by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.
As he turned into a residential street, he was blocked by a marked police car and a firearms officer fired one shot through the windscreen and hit Mr Kaba.
He was taken to hospital and died the following day, on 6 September.
The Met Police marksman was charged with murder on 20 September, with the Crown Prosecution Service choosing not to publicly name the officer, ahead of an application to keep him anonymous.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court the following day, where District Judge Nina Tempia put an order in place banning publication of anything that would identify the officer, ahead of further legal hearings at the Old Bailey.
A plea and trial preparation hearing is due to take place on 1 December, with a trial planned to start on 9 September next year.
Mr Kaba's family previously told the BBC they wanted the officer to face criminal charges.
Last month, hundreds of police officers in London turned in their weapons permits after officer NX121 was charged with murder.
The Met said many firearms officers were "worried" about how the charging decisioni "impacts on them".
Source: BBC
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Met Police commander Julian Bennett sacked for failing to provide a sample for drug test
A Metropolitan Police commander has been sacked after refusing to provide a sample for a drugs test when he was accused of smoking cannabis.
Julian Bennett, who joined the force in 1976, was cleared by a disciplinary panel of using the drug at home in late 2019.
However, he was found to have committed gross misconduct by failing to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on 21 July 2020.
Mr Bennett's former flatmate Sheila Gomes claimed he had used the substance daily before breakfast and leaving for work at New Scotland Yard, but the three-person panel rejected that allegation.
The panel also rejected an allegation that he had given an explanation for refusing a sample which he "knew to be untrue".
After Ms Gomes reported Mr Bennett in July 2020, he was called in and, in the presence of an assistant commissioner, was asked to provide a sample.
He offered to resign on the spot instead, and asked for a meeting with then-commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.
Mark Ley-Morgan KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said it would have smacked of "organised corruption at the highest level" and compromised her integrity if Mr Bennett had been allowed to resign on the spot.
Mr Bennett said he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason.
Panel chairman Akbar Khan said: "It is highly improbable the officer believed he had a good reason for failing to comply with a lawful order.
"Harm has undoubtedly been caused to the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service."
He added that Mr Bennett most likely decided to involve the ex-commissioner "to secure for himself high-level cover to deflect inevitable criticism and embarrassment that would come his way".
The chairman also said that "if the goal of resignation was to avoid embarrassing" the Met this was "unlikely to be achieved".
Outlining the panel's reasons for sacking Mr Bennett, Mr Khan said he had "shown limited insight regarding the proven conduct".
He said this may lead the public to be "concerned his mindset demonstrates an attitude of one rule for senior officers and a different rule for a lower rank officer".
By failing to provide the sample, Mr Bennett was found to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct.
Mr Bennett will appeal against the panel's decision.
His solicitors said in a statement: "The panel found that Cdr Bennett did not take any drugs, cannabis or otherwise.
"The panel found Cdr Bennett guilty of refusing to take a drug test, something he had always admitted.
"The panel also found Cdr Bennett guilty of misconduct that he had not been charged with: this concerns an alleged lack of integrity.
"This finding was despite the prosecution agreeing with the defence that this was not a permissible finding.
"Since Cdr Bennett has been found guilty of a lack of integrity that he had not been charged with, Cdr Bennett has no choice but to appeal so that the sanction decision is retaken on a proper rather than improper basis."
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said: "Julian Bennett's actions were deplorable. He was a senior officer and showed complete disregard and disrespect for the standards we must all uphold.
"His actions have further damaged not only the public's trust in us as an organisation, but also the confidence of our own officers and staff in those who lead them."
SKY NEWS
A Metropolitan Police commander has been sacked after refusing to provide a sample for a drugs test when he was accused of smoking cannabis.
Julian Bennett, who joined the force in 1976, was cleared by a disciplinary panel of using the drug at home in late 2019.
However, he was found to have committed gross misconduct by failing to provide a urine sample for a drugs test on 21 July 2020.
Mr Bennett's former flatmate Sheila Gomes claimed he had used the substance daily before breakfast and leaving for work at New Scotland Yard, but the three-person panel rejected that allegation.
The panel also rejected an allegation that he had given an explanation for refusing a sample which he "knew to be untrue".
After Ms Gomes reported Mr Bennett in July 2020, he was called in and, in the presence of an assistant commissioner, was asked to provide a sample.
He offered to resign on the spot instead, and asked for a meeting with then-commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.
Mark Ley-Morgan KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said it would have smacked of "organised corruption at the highest level" and compromised her integrity if Mr Bennett had been allowed to resign on the spot.
Mr Bennett said he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason.
Panel chairman Akbar Khan said: "It is highly improbable the officer believed he had a good reason for failing to comply with a lawful order.
"Harm has undoubtedly been caused to the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service."
He added that Mr Bennett most likely decided to involve the ex-commissioner "to secure for himself high-level cover to deflect inevitable criticism and embarrassment that would come his way".
The chairman also said that "if the goal of resignation was to avoid embarrassing" the Met this was "unlikely to be achieved".
Outlining the panel's reasons for sacking Mr Bennett, Mr Khan said he had "shown limited insight regarding the proven conduct".
He said this may lead the public to be "concerned his mindset demonstrates an attitude of one rule for senior officers and a different rule for a lower rank officer".
By failing to provide the sample, Mr Bennett was found to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct.
Mr Bennett will appeal against the panel's decision.
His solicitors said in a statement: "The panel found that Cdr Bennett did not take any drugs, cannabis or otherwise.
"The panel found Cdr Bennett guilty of refusing to take a drug test, something he had always admitted.
"The panel also found Cdr Bennett guilty of misconduct that he had not been charged with: this concerns an alleged lack of integrity.
"This finding was despite the prosecution agreeing with the defence that this was not a permissible finding.
"Since Cdr Bennett has been found guilty of a lack of integrity that he had not been charged with, Cdr Bennett has no choice but to appeal so that the sanction decision is retaken on a proper rather than improper basis."
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said: "Julian Bennett's actions were deplorable. He was a senior officer and showed complete disregard and disrespect for the standards we must all uphold.
"His actions have further damaged not only the public's trust in us as an organisation, but also the confidence of our own officers and staff in those who lead them."
SKY NEWS
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Met Police: Ex-officers sentenced over racist WhatsApp posts
Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been given suspended prison sentences for sending racist, sexist and homophobic messages on WhatsApp, after a BBC Newsnight investigation.
Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikran said they had harmed public confidence in the police.
He did not accept a suggestion that their views were merely "antiquated".
They were not serving officers during their participation in the group, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Mr Ikran said the messages were "offensive to many good people in this country and not only people who might be directly offended".
The former officers were all convicted of improper use of a public electronic communications network.
Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been given suspended prison sentences for sending racist, sexist and homophobic messages on WhatsApp, after a BBC Newsnight investigation.
Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikran said they had harmed public confidence in the police.
He did not accept a suggestion that their views were merely "antiquated".
They were not serving officers during their participation in the group, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Mr Ikran said the messages were "offensive to many good people in this country and not only people who might be directly offended".
The former officers were all convicted of improper use of a public electronic communications network.
Met Police: Ex-officers sentenced over racist WhatsApp posts
The six men were told they had harmed public confidence in the police.
www.bbc.com
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Head of Britain’s police chiefs says force ‘institutionally racist’
The leader of Britain’s police chiefs’ organisation has become the most senior serving leader to say that policing is institutionally racist, as he called for a fundamental redesign of national policies and practices to eliminate discrimination.
Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said black people should no longer experience disproportionate use of force, and that too little progress had been made to reform policing, with some leaders slow to accept the size of the challenge.
Stephens – elected by his fellow chief constables to lead their representative body – emphasised it was his personal view that discrimination in policing operated at an “institutional level”.
In an interview with the Guardian, he said: “It’s a leadership responsibility for us to describe to them what it [institutional racism] means and what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that all police officers are racist.
“The way our policies, procedures [and] training have been designed and implemented for many years have not had the voices of black people involved in the design, the implementation, of those practices. And as a consequence of that, we get disproportionate outcomes in places where there shouldn’t be disproportionate outcomes.
“The most helpful discussion for policing to have in the future is how we redesign the policies, the practices, the implementation, of policing to remove that discrimination.”
Stephens’ remarks come as policing continues to wrestle with the issue of whether it should accept it suffers from institutional discrimination, a debate dating back more than 30 years.
His intervention will add to pressure on the heads of England’s biggest forces to adopt the idea – including the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley. Rowley refused to accept the terms “institutionally racist” and “institutionally misogynistic” after a damning report last year, with the Met commissioner claiming their meanings were unclear.
Those findings, by Louise Casey in March after the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, were contained in the second report to find police to be institutionally racist. The first, by Sir William Macpherson in 1999, followed an inquiry into failings that allowed the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence to escape justice. Police leaders accepted the findings, then later claimed to have reformed the service to the extent that it no longer applied.
Stephens said his personal view was that the reports were correct. He said: “The problems that we need to solve across policing are at the institutional level and they need institutional changes. Whether you look at the Macpherson definition in the Stephen Lawrence report, or whether you look at Louise Casey’s definition, my personal view is that they apply to policing.”
Asked for clarity on whether his personal view was that “police are institutionally racist”, Stephens replied “yes”, while emphasising that his reasoning for reaching that conclusion was important.
Police Scotland, the second biggest force in the UK, as well as Avon and Somerset police and the British Transport Police, have accepted that the term applies to them. But the biggest three forces in England – the Met, West Midlands police and Greater Manchester police – all disagree.
Stephens said: “Colleagues have valid reasons why they don’t want to go down that route.”
After the murder of George Floyd in the US and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the NPCC promised reform and launched a race action plan – which critics say has done little or nothing after three years.
Stephens said progress had been made, but that some of his fellow chiefs had been slow to accept the scale of the problems. “We have got some tangibles. I’d be the first to accept that we haven’t made progress at the rate that we would want to,” he said. “To get acceptance of the scale of that challenge took longer than we’d anticipated.”
The NPCC chair said he personally supported the idea of police officers being licensed, in the same way nurses or doctors were. He believed it would help professionalise the service and hoped for an “active” debate on it among his fellow chiefs.
Stephens became NPCC chair in March 2023, having previously been the chief constable of Surrey police.
The scale of the racial disparity in the use of force in England and Wales was laid out by police leaders in 2022, when they launched the first written version of their race plan.
They wrote: “Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people and five times more likely to be subjected to the use of force … 10% of our recorded searches, 27% of use-of-force incidents and 35% of Taser incidents involved someone from a Black ethnic group. The latest estimates suggest that only 3.5% of the population is Black.”
Some have said that police stereotype black men as being more dangerous. Stephens, who grew up in Hartlepool, said this was wrong: “This myth that sometimes exists in popular culture that young black men are dangerous. It’s a myth. Yes, young black men get involved in crime – yes, they’re at risk of victimisation – but so do white men if you go to my neck of the woods.”
He added: “If you’ve got that cultural connection, if you’ve got something in common with the person that you’re dealing with on the street, there’s a higher likelihood that you’re going to be able to resolve that issue without resorting to use of force.”
Source: The Guardian
The leader of Britain’s police chiefs’ organisation has become the most senior serving leader to say that policing is institutionally racist, as he called for a fundamental redesign of national policies and practices to eliminate discrimination.
Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said black people should no longer experience disproportionate use of force, and that too little progress had been made to reform policing, with some leaders slow to accept the size of the challenge.
Stephens – elected by his fellow chief constables to lead their representative body – emphasised it was his personal view that discrimination in policing operated at an “institutional level”.
In an interview with the Guardian, he said: “It’s a leadership responsibility for us to describe to them what it [institutional racism] means and what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that all police officers are racist.
“The way our policies, procedures [and] training have been designed and implemented for many years have not had the voices of black people involved in the design, the implementation, of those practices. And as a consequence of that, we get disproportionate outcomes in places where there shouldn’t be disproportionate outcomes.
“The most helpful discussion for policing to have in the future is how we redesign the policies, the practices, the implementation, of policing to remove that discrimination.”
Stephens’ remarks come as policing continues to wrestle with the issue of whether it should accept it suffers from institutional discrimination, a debate dating back more than 30 years.
His intervention will add to pressure on the heads of England’s biggest forces to adopt the idea – including the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley. Rowley refused to accept the terms “institutionally racist” and “institutionally misogynistic” after a damning report last year, with the Met commissioner claiming their meanings were unclear.
Those findings, by Louise Casey in March after the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, were contained in the second report to find police to be institutionally racist. The first, by Sir William Macpherson in 1999, followed an inquiry into failings that allowed the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence to escape justice. Police leaders accepted the findings, then later claimed to have reformed the service to the extent that it no longer applied.
Stephens said his personal view was that the reports were correct. He said: “The problems that we need to solve across policing are at the institutional level and they need institutional changes. Whether you look at the Macpherson definition in the Stephen Lawrence report, or whether you look at Louise Casey’s definition, my personal view is that they apply to policing.”
Asked for clarity on whether his personal view was that “police are institutionally racist”, Stephens replied “yes”, while emphasising that his reasoning for reaching that conclusion was important.
Police Scotland, the second biggest force in the UK, as well as Avon and Somerset police and the British Transport Police, have accepted that the term applies to them. But the biggest three forces in England – the Met, West Midlands police and Greater Manchester police – all disagree.
Stephens said: “Colleagues have valid reasons why they don’t want to go down that route.”
After the murder of George Floyd in the US and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the NPCC promised reform and launched a race action plan – which critics say has done little or nothing after three years.
Stephens said progress had been made, but that some of his fellow chiefs had been slow to accept the scale of the problems. “We have got some tangibles. I’d be the first to accept that we haven’t made progress at the rate that we would want to,” he said. “To get acceptance of the scale of that challenge took longer than we’d anticipated.”
The NPCC chair said he personally supported the idea of police officers being licensed, in the same way nurses or doctors were. He believed it would help professionalise the service and hoped for an “active” debate on it among his fellow chiefs.
Stephens became NPCC chair in March 2023, having previously been the chief constable of Surrey police.
The scale of the racial disparity in the use of force in England and Wales was laid out by police leaders in 2022, when they launched the first written version of their race plan.
They wrote: “Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people and five times more likely to be subjected to the use of force … 10% of our recorded searches, 27% of use-of-force incidents and 35% of Taser incidents involved someone from a Black ethnic group. The latest estimates suggest that only 3.5% of the population is Black.”
Some have said that police stereotype black men as being more dangerous. Stephens, who grew up in Hartlepool, said this was wrong: “This myth that sometimes exists in popular culture that young black men are dangerous. It’s a myth. Yes, young black men get involved in crime – yes, they’re at risk of victimisation – but so do white men if you go to my neck of the woods.”
He added: “If you’ve got that cultural connection, if you’ve got something in common with the person that you’re dealing with on the street, there’s a higher likelihood that you’re going to be able to resolve that issue without resorting to use of force.”
Source: The Guardian
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Bus set on fire and police car flipped over as riot breaks out in Leeds with hundreds out on streets
A bus has been set on fire and a police car has been flipped over as a riot broke out in Leeds.
Crowds of hundreds of people have gathered in the Harehills area, with police saying they are dealing with an "ongoing situation" - which has led to riot police descending on the scene.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had been left "appalled" by the scenes of unrest, amid what officers described as "pockets of disorder", with councillor Salma Arif asking people to stay at home.
Livestream footage on social media appeared to show vehicles on fire, including a bus, but police said no injuries have been reported.
At 5pm in Luxor Street, officers responded to a "disturbance" which involved agency workers and "some children".
West Yorkshire Police said crowds began to gather and a decision was taken to remove both the agency workers and the children "to a safe place".
However, the situation escalated into the later seen riot.
SKY News
A bus has been set on fire and a police car has been flipped over as a riot broke out in Leeds.
Crowds of hundreds of people have gathered in the Harehills area, with police saying they are dealing with an "ongoing situation" - which has led to riot police descending on the scene.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had been left "appalled" by the scenes of unrest, amid what officers described as "pockets of disorder", with councillor Salma Arif asking people to stay at home.
Livestream footage on social media appeared to show vehicles on fire, including a bus, but police said no injuries have been reported.
At 5pm in Luxor Street, officers responded to a "disturbance" which involved agency workers and "some children".
West Yorkshire Police said crowds began to gather and a decision was taken to remove both the agency workers and the children "to a safe place".
However, the situation escalated into the later seen riot.
SKY News
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