Speed of Met reforms dependent on funding - Rowley

Sir Mark has said scheme to identify and target London's 100 "most dangerous" predators, has so far resulted in 18 arrests

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has promised that reforms to tackle violence against women and girls will move as "fast as the funding allows".

Sir Mark Rowley has also unveiled new plans including commitments on bringing more rapists and stalkers to justice, ridding the force of police officers who are abusers and changing "deep rooted problems" in the culture of the Met.

It comes after a series of scandals, including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by police officer Wayne Couzens, and the case of officer David Carrick, who was revealed to be one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders.

In March, a review by Baroness Casey found the force to be institutionally misogynist, and said public protection teams, whose role it is to tackle rape and child abuse, have been weakened.

A review by Baroness Casey found the force to be institutionally misogynist

Sir Mark said the Met was already making progress with its "ambitious plans" to reform, but added: "I'm not going to pretend that the scale and pace aren't dependent on funding, of course they are.

"We are in the middle of a budget conversation with the Home Office and City Hall.

"In the meantime, we are getting better and we will go as fast as the funding allows."

Last week, the Commissioner told the London Policing Board that the force was facing a funding gap of around £250m and "some very hard choices".

They are also struggling with recruitment, with a shortfall of around 1,000 officers.

The reforms include rebuilding the public protection teams, adding more than 500 officers and staff.

But documents submitted to the London Policing Board say that to meet the recommendations described in the Casey review, it would require thousands of extra officers and an additional £850m over the next five years (p94 point 24).

Sir Mark is hoping that new approaches using data and technology will help the force make more efficient use of resources.

He says a scheme to identify and target London's 100 "most dangerous" predators, which was launched two months ago, is showing promising signs, and they've made 18 arrests.

He said the scheme would be evaluated in the spring.

"We know from targeting the most dangerous terrorists that targeting works, because a small number of people commit the most harm.

"What we've got to test is have we found the best method of doing it."

Another key commitment is to pursue predatory police officers and staff, with promises to improve vetting.

After David Carrick - a serving Met Police officer - was jailed, the force reviewed more than 1,000 investigations into officers and other staff who'd been accused of domestic abuse and sexual violence over a decade.

One hundred and fifteen of those officers are now having their vetting reviewed under a new scheme which attempts to speed up the process of disciplinary proceedings.

Sir Mark says from the New Year he expects around 30 misconduct hearings to be taking place each month, and "a big chunk of it" will be those officers accused of violence against women and girls.

He says the force "has not been tough enough" over the issue.

"It's upsetting, it makes me angry. It makes women in London more angry, and I completely understand that."

He says he is encouraged by the number of police officers and staff coming forward to report concerns about colleagues, and relieved they have not seen a drop in women reporting sexual offences.

"So, whilst it's shaken confidence, of course it has, it hasn't broken it."

'A lot more to do'

The Met has charged more than 500 more cases of rape and serious sexual offences in the last 12 months compared to the previous year.

But just eight per cent of rape cases reported result in a charge.

Sir Mark says he's concerned at how long cases are taking to get to court.

"We've got people being charged with rape, and those cases not listed at crown court till 2025.

"That backlog effect is really discouraging to victims, and we see more victims dropping out and that makes our job harder."

He said "step by step" women and girls in London will see progress, but added "there's an awful lot more to do".

Interim CEO Ellen Miller, from the charity Refuge which supports domestic abuse survivors, welcomed the Met's plans but added it must involve ‘rapid action’, including the suspension of all officers and staff accused of violence against women and girls pending an investigation.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said 'some encouraging improvements' had already been made, but that 'Londoners will rightly judge this plan on results not words'.