Suella Braverman WON'T break up Met Police despite damning report
Suella Braverman WON’T break up the Metropolitan Police despite damning report accusing scandal-hit force of institutional racism, homophobia and misogyny
- Home Secretary said findings of Baroness Casey’s report ‘totally unacceptable’
- But Ms Braverman indicated she did not believe break-up of the Met is required
Suella Braverman will not break up the Metropolitan Police despite a scathing report accusing the force of institutional racism, homophobia and misogyny.
The Home Secretary said the findings of Baroness Louise Casey’s report last week were ‘totally unacceptable’, but added that Sir Mark Rowley is the ‘right’ person to lead the force.
The 363-page dossier, commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by then serving officer Wayne Couzens, revealed that the force is ‘failing women and children’ and is ‘institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic’.
It laid bare a slew of other troubling incidents, too, amid warnings there may be more officers like Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.
The Baroness, who sits in Britain’s upper house of Parliament, found ‘severe’ failings across the Met that it said will need ‘radical reform’.
Baroness Louise Casey penned the 363-page dossier, commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by then serving officer Wayne Couzens
Couzens (pictured) is serving a whole life order for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard in March 2021
Rowley, the Met Commissioner, also faced questions about use of the phrase ‘institutional’ to describe the failings in the force.
He accepted the diagnosis of racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Met, but would not use the term institutional because it has become politicised and is ambiguous.
But Ms Braverman, speaking on Sky News on Sunday, indicated that she did not believe a break-up of the Met was required.
Such a solution was floated in the aftermath of Baroness Casey’s report by some, as well as the possibility of a new name, following the example of the Royal Ulster Constabulary becoming the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Home Secretary told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that ‘no one’s shying away from the big challenges that the Met face’.
The report laid bare a slew of other troubling incidents, too, amid warnings there may be more officers like Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick (pictured)
Ms Braverman, pictured during an appearance on Sky News on Sunday, indicated she does not believe a break-up of the Met was required
Calling Sir Mark Rowley the ‘right’ person to lead the force, she said Baroness Casey also found that ‘the vast majority of serving police officers in the Met are decent, law-abiding and uphold the highest standard’.
‘The findings that Louise Casey makes of the instances of misogyny, racism, homophobia are all totally unacceptable and no one’s denying that.’
But pressed on whether she could consider breaking up the Met, she said: “Even Louise Casey doesn’t recommend breaking up the Met.
‘I am personally not at that point.’
Baroness Casey’s report was the most damning report in the Met’s near 200-year history.
It made 16 recommendations that it said would constitute a ‘complete overhaul’ of the Met.
Baroness Casey, who spent a year examining the Yard’s culture and practices, declared today that the Met is ‘unable to police itself from the very worst wrongdoing’.
She slammed the force’s decision to ‘downgrade the public protection of women and children,’ noting the ‘irony’ that the force had apparently harboured serial rapist David Carrick.
She also acknowledged the validity of concerns black Londoners, alleging there is institutional racism within the force.
Baroness Casey questioned whether a black man, gay man or woman would ‘receive the same or worse treatment’ in or from the Met than a ‘straight white man’.
She also urged the force to ‘take action’, alleging the ‘future of policing, and the public’s permission to police them, depends on it’.
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