The Metropolitan Police has received criticism from inspectors for its policing performance.
Prospective police officers are informed in an information package that the Met is tasked with ‘upholding the peace and is legally responsible for exercising law enforcement powers’.
In assessments across eight key policing aspects, London’s police force did not receive ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ ratings from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The report for the 2023-25 period by chief inspector Lee Freeman highlights that the Met falls significantly below expected standards in seven areas.
The crime investigation and offender management of the Met were rated as ‘inadequate’.
Scotland Yard is deemed to ‘need improvement’ in crime prevention, public response, protection of vulnerable individuals, fostering a positive workplace culture, and leadership and force management.
Only the utilization of police powers and interactions with the public by the Met were considered ‘adequate’ by the inspectorate.
‘The inspectorate noted an enhancement in the force’s public response, with the majority of 999 and 101 calls being promptly answered,’ stated HMICFRS.
However, concerns were raised over the quality of investigations and victim care, particularly in locally allocated cases.
The report highlighted the imperative need for the force to enhance the quality and oversight of investigations to deliver better outcomes for victims.
London’s crime rate surpasses that of many other cities in the UK, with an average of 88 crimes per 1,000 individuals as of June, according to crime tracking site CrimeRate.
Inspectors noted that the Met operates with an ‘inexperienced workforce’, including both rank-and-file officers and their supervisors, handling workloads that exceed their training and expertise.
The police service’s ‘culture silences some officers and staff from reporting improper conduct’, echoing a previous independent report branding the Met as a ‘boy’s club’.
Noteworthy findings include nearly one-fifth of visits to sex offenders being overdue.
While commendable uses of stop-and-search were acknowledged, deemed ‘fair and effective’ with the ‘overwhelming majority’ having justifiable grounds.
Despite efforts by Met officials to reform the force under the ‘A New Met for London’ plan, public support continues to dwindle, and change efforts are slow.
The Met has scaled back its reform initiatives due to a £92 million funding shortfall this year.
The inspector’s report further compounds the existing challenges faced by the beleaguered Met Police. In the preceding year, a report characterized the world’s one of the oldest police forces as institutionally sexist, racist, misogynistic, and homophobic.
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Report by Baroness Louise Casey from the House of Lords was commissioned following the tragic murder of a Met police officer of Sarah Everard in 2021. This request was made only a year after the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the oversight body for the police force, issued more than a dozen recommendations for restructuring the department.
In 2022, the Met was placed in special measures known as ‘Engage’.
Trust in the Met has gradually declined over time. According to a BBC survey last year of 1,000 London residents, 42% either ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ distrust the Met.
In a statement released recently, the Met Police mentioned that they are utilizing ‘all available resources to foster more confidence, reduce crime, and maintain high standards in London’.
‘HMICFRS’ report underscores the ongoing requirement for this reform. Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that confidence in the Met surpasses that of other major cities, and the overall crime rate in London is lower than in those cities,” the statement noted.
“We have already devised a plan to advance beyond the heightened monitoring by HMICFRS (referred to as ‘Engage’) since this evaluation took place.
“We are now carefully reviewing the outcomes, which largely align with our ‘A New Met for London’ strategies and the information we shared with the HMIC.
“We will continue to collaborate closely with the Inspectorate, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, and other stakeholders to enhance service delivery for Londoners.”
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