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Hundreds of British police should be sacked - commissioner
Officers in Britain's biggest police force are getting away with breaking the law and committing misconduct, a damning review has found, and hundreds should be sacked, the DPA reported, the Anews said.
A report on the Metropolitan Police's misconduct procedures also found the internal disciplinary system is racist and misogynist, and allegations of sexual misconduct or discrimination are less likely to result in a case to answer than other claims.
Author Louise Casey said: "We have heard repeatedly from colleagues that they feel and believe and actually have given us case examples of where people are getting away both with misconduct but also criminal behaviour."
Repeat misconduct offenders have also remained in post, with only 13 out of 1,809 officers and staff with more than one case against them since 2013 being sacked.
The report found 1,263 were involved in two or more cases, more than 500 were involved in three to five, and 41 were involved in six or more - the highest number being 19.
New Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said he was appalled by the findings and apologised to officers and members of the public who had been let down.
He said the number of officers and staff being sacked each year, between around 30 and 50, was "massively under-engineered", and he estimated there are hundreds of officers in the Met who should be kicked out of the force.
"You have to come to the conclusion there must be hundreds of people that shouldn't be here, who should be thrown out," Rowley said. "There must be hundreds who are behaving disgracefully, undermining our integrity and need ejecting."
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The Met is so unclear about what constitutes gross misconduct that repeated incidents of sexual misconduct towards colleagues would not result in an officer being sacked, Casey found.
"There are moments when I have looked at the cases with people I've listened to and I have wondered what exactly would constitute gross misconduct in order to get them out of the force."
She was brought in to look at misconduct procedures and the culture within the Metropolitan Police after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, and a series of scandals around disturbing messages shared by officers on WhatsApp.
A full report on the culture within the Met will be published in the new year.
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Chief Constable Andy Marsh from professional standards body the College of Policing said the review "puts a shameful light on behaviour which has eroded the foundation of our model to police by consent.
"What has been found has no place in society, let alone in a police service where we should be dedicated to helping the vulnerable.
"The report makes for difficult reading but it is vital that we listen to what Baroness Casey has found, and I know the commissioner and the Met are committed to taking immediate action to resolve these issues."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the situation at the Met was worse than he had feared.
He said: "It's clear the Met's misconduct system is simply not fit for purpose.
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"I now expect nothing less than every single recommendation of this review to be implemented in full, and quickly.
"All misconduct allegations must be acted upon, cases must be resolved much faster and the disproportionality in the way allegations are dealt with must be eliminated.
"The majority of those serving in the Met will be appalled by these latest findings and the decent officers who want to speak out - who have clearly been let down for far too long - must be properly supported."
Source: anews
