<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Uniform reform</h2>

The headlines all told the same story. "Damning verdict on the Met - MisogynistA person or being who dislikes and is prejudiced against women. , homophobicShowing a dislike for gay people. and racist," declared Metro. "Condemned! Public's loss of faith in the police," shouted the Daily Express. It was not the start to the day that Metropolitan PoliceThe name of London's police force. commissioner Mark Rowley was hoping for.

The tide of indignationAnger about a situation that you think is wrong or not fair. had been released by Louise CaseyA member of the UK House of Lords and a government official working in social welfare. 's report into the Met. It was commissioned after the rape and murder of Sarah EverardA woman from London who was abducted and murdered by a police officer in 2021, sparking public outrage in Britain. by police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.

Casey concluded that even after Everard's murder the Met continued to neglect the protection of women and children. Failing to respond to the crime, she said, was like ignoring a plane crash.

When a campaign was launched to encourage officers to report rogueDishonest, unprincipled or acting without the permission of the group. colleagues, some warned each other to delete WhatsApp messages.

Evidence in rape cases was sometimes unusable because it had been stored in broken fridges. The department was left short of resources while armed police wasted money on unnecessary equipment.

A third of female officers said they had experienced sexism, and 12% had suffered sexual harassment and assault. A gay officer who had been bullied said: "I am scared of the police. I don't trust my own organisation."

A Sikh officer had his beard trimmed, while a Muslim officer found bacon left in his boots. White officers are only 19% as likely as Black ones to face disciplinary action.

At the present rate of recruitment, it will take the Met 38 years to reach its target of 46% of its officers from ethnic minorities, reflecting London's racial mix. Baroness Casey said that it was guilty of institutional racism, and made excessive use of force and stop-and-search powers against Black people.

A survey¹ found that public confidence in the force to do a good job for the city fell from 74% to 36% between 2017 and 2022. Casey concluded that the Met "can now no longer presume that it has the permission of the people of London to police them".

She was referring to the "Peelian principle" of policing, named after the founder of the Met, Sir Robert PeelA 19th Century British prime minister, and founder of London's Metropolitan Police., who had to convince people that the force was a good idea. The historian Charles Reith described it as "unique in history and throughout the world, because it derived, not from fear, but almost exclusively from public co-operation with the police".

Yes: There are plenty of police officers who do their work conscientiouslyTaking what you are doing seriously and working hard at it. and are not guilty of the misdemeanours listed in the report. Mark Rowley can save the Met by bringing them to the fore.

No: Misogyny, homophobia and racism are "baked in" to the Met according to the report, and that is probably true of many forces. Police officers tend to be machoMasculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Usually used today in a mocking or condescending way to describe people who think that being tough is all that matters. types who enjoy pushing others around.

Or...  Only if the Met is completely overhauled by experts from outside the organisation - past experience shows that it cannot be trusted to put itself right. Failing that it should be broken up.

Misogynist - A person or being who dislikes and is prejudiced against women. 

Homophobic - Showing a dislike for gay people.

Metropolitan Police - The name of London's police force.

Indignation - Anger about a situation that you think is wrong or not fair.

Louise Casey - A member of the UK House of Lords and a government official working in social welfare.

Sarah Everard - A woman from London who was abducted and murdered by a police officer in 2021, sparking public outrage in Britain.

Rogue - Dishonest, unprincipled or acting without the permission of the group.

Sir Robert Peel - A 19th Century British prime minister, and founder of London's Metropolitan Police.

Conscientiously - Taking what you are doing seriously and working hard at it.

Macho - Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Usually used today in a mocking or condescending way to describe people who think that being tough is all that matters.