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About 1,600 Metropolitan Police officers and staff are being investigated for alleged violence against women or sexual abuse, revealing significant shortcomings in London’s police force’s efforts to combat the presence of predators among its ranks.
The Met launched a comprehensive vetting and review process of its nearly 45,000 officers and staff following the 2021 rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, a serving officer at the time.
This extensive internal investigation aims to identify and remove individuals involved in misconduct or criminal activities to rebuild public trust, especially in light of several scandals involving rogue police officers attacking civilians.
The Met has described Sir Mark Rowley’s leadership, who assumed command of UK’s largest police force a year ago, as the organization’s most rigorous commitment to standards in half a century.
Stuart Cundy, the deputy assistant commissioner supervising the standards review, announced on Monday that 100 officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct in the past 12 months.
© Andy Rain/EPA/Shutterstock
Additionally, more than 1,000 officers have been suspended or had their roles restricted while investigations into various allegations are being conducted.
The 1,600 cases under review pertain to allegations of domestic or sexual abuse over the past decade involving a serving officer or staff member, where the allegations did not result in dismissal at the time.
Cundy stated that their objective is to assess the risks posed by these individuals to the public and their colleagues at the Met’s headquarters, New Scotland Yard.
Following the crimes committed by Couzens, who served in the parliamentary and diplomatic protection (PADP) unit, the Met initiated reforms aiming to address the issues. This year, Officer David Carrick, also from the PADP unit, was convicted of raping multiple women.
These cases have shocked the UK and highlighted the presence of misogyny and violence within certain parts of the police force.
Earlier this year, another serving Met officer was charged with rape, strangulation, and other crimes he committed while on duty.
Cundy emphasized that the more effort they put into identifying unsuitable individuals within the police force, the more challenging and public the cases and stories will become. He expressed frustration with the slow pace of police misconduct and incompetence hearings, which prolongs the entire process.
Additionally, court backlogs have resulted in criminal cases, including the one involving the officer charged with rape this year, being pushed back to 2025.
The Met aims to increase the number of cases addressed at misconduct and incompetence hearings to 60 per month. Rowley has also requested the government to transfer powers of dismissal to police commissioners instead of independent lawyers currently chairing misconduct proceedings.
© Danny Lawson/PA
In the meantime, changes have been made to the senior command of the PADP unit, with a third of officers already
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