Met Police: Not enough progress after Casey review - deputy mayor

The deputy mayor said change "is going to take a long time" because "we are only one year in"

London's deputy mayor for policing and crime said "not enough" progress had been made to change the Metropolitan Police's culture and standards.

The London Assembly's police and crime committee has met to discuss changes made since Baroness Casey's review.

Her 2023 report condemned the force as institutionally racist.

The meeting heard concerns about continuing issues in the force, but deputy mayor Sophie Linden said change would "take a long time".

The meeting comes just days after Lady Angiolini's review of how the Met handled the case of Sarah Everard, who was murdered by serving officer Wayne Couzens.

Her review found that Couzens, who has been jailed for life, "should never have been a police officer".

Insp Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association, raised concerns about the force's vetting process at the meeting.

He said many candidates from ethnic minorities had seemingly failed to pass vetting, but it was "telling that somebody like Wayne Couzens was assessed as being fit".

Insp George also said, having talked with more than 50 forces, the Met was "always the most defensive, the most dismissive".

"In the last 12 months things have actually regressed and become more strained and more difficult for our officers and staff from BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] backgrounds," he said.

He added that he had gathered a number of examples in recent weeks where officers who raised issues "are side-lined; they're not believed".

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Baroness Casey's report also said a "boys' club" culture was rife in the force and it was misogynist and homophobic, and there had been a systemic failure to root out discriminatory and bullying behaviour.

The review's 16 recommendations included for a new team to reform how the Met dealt with misconduct cases and an immediate overhaul of vetting.

It recommended independent progress reviews after two and five years.

Insp George said many structural changes that had so far taken place, including the Met's choice to move firearms officers into professional standards roles, felt more like "moving chess pieces".

Charmaine Arbouin, from the Independent Office for Police Conduct agreed, saying: "You don't change organisations just by having a very rigid command and control approach."

Sophie Linden said there had been a "substantial increase" in the number of officers being suspended or leaving the force

The deputy mayor said all issues experienced by staff from ethnic minorities were taken "very seriously".

She also said it was "not a fair summary to say it's just about moving chess pieces".

"There has been progress - it has not been enough yet, but we are only one year in [from the Casey review]," she said.

She said there had been a "substantial increase" in the number of officers being suspended or leaving the force, and a "tripling of misconduct cases".

"That, for me, shows the grip the leadership are taking," she said.

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