Dodgy cops ‘weaponising’ complaints, Met Police chief warns
Dodgy Metropolitan Police officers who are breaching standards are “weaponising” complaints against bosses trying to stamp out misconduct, commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned.
The Met chief issued the shock warning at the City Hall police and crime committee as he updated the London Assembly on measures to clean up the force.
Sir Mark said: “As leaders get more assertive on standards, some of those who are breaching standards are trying to use the grievance procedure and the misconduct procedure to weaponise that back against the leaders who are confronting them.”
It comes as he and deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens attempt to radically overhaul London’s police force following a wave of misogyny, misconduct and racism scandals.
Baroness Louise Casey wrote an excoriating report into the force after the tragic abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of serving armed cop Wayne Couzens, and the conviction of serial sex abuser and fellow serving copper, David Carrick, earlier this year.
The commissioner was at City Hall to explain the steps taken over the 100 days since Casey’s review, which found the Met was institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic.
‘Smokescreen’
Top bosses are looking to overhaul internal disciplinary procedures so that they cannot be abused, Sir Mark said.
“There are some battle lines being drawn and we’re looking at how those procedures work,” he explained.
He added: “They need to work in a way, which you mustn’t license bullying, but mustn’t enable those guilty of poor conduct to throw up a smokescreen by undermining leaders by creating some bureaucratic grievance or misconduct process.
“I don’t think that balance is right. I do see evidence of some of the people who are rightly being taken on pushing back, and we will find a way through that.”
Londoners’ levels of confidence in the force has fallen to record lows in recent months.
Latest City Hall figures which go up to spring 2022 indicate only 57 per cent of the capital’s residents have faith in the police to be there when they need to report a crime or feel unsafe.
It marks a two percentage point fall from the previous year and an all-time low for the beleaguered force.