(Bloomberg) --
A team of officers in London's Metropolitan Police Service engaged in racism, misogyny and harassment, an investigation by the force's watchdog found.
A review of thousands of messages found numerous references to rape, homophobia and use of words “that could be considered misogynist, racist, or constituting disability discrimination.” Messages included “I would happily rape you” and “My dad kidnapped some African children and used them to make dog food.”
“Their behavior was not isolated or simply the behavior of a few ‘bad apples',” the report said.
The report is the latest blow for Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who has been under pressure since the murder of Sarah Everard by a service police officer last year. Two other officers were jailed for taking and sharing photos of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, raising question marks about the culture of the force.
The probe began after an allegation that an officer had sex with a drunk person at a police station and it expanded to include other officers, predominantly based at Charing Cross near Trafalgar Square. The police members were part of a team set up to tackle crime and disorder in the Westminster borough.
The watchdog investigated 14 officers as part of the probe. Two were dismissed for gross misconduct and another resigned. Four other officers attended misconduct meetings and a fifth decided to quit rather than attend.
“The behavior we uncovered was disgraceful and fell well below the standards expected of the officers involved,” Independent Office for Police Conduct Regional Director Sal Naseem said in a statement. “While these officers predominantly worked in teams in Westminster, which have since been disbanded, we know from other recent cases that these issues are not isolated or historic.”
Officers sent messages which were “highly sexualized, discriminatory or referred to violence,” the probe found. “These were generally described as banter by officers in their defense,” which became a cover for bullying and harassment.
The Met is “deeply sorry” about the “appalling conduct” of officers and has requested an outside review of its culture and standards, it said in a separate statement.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
