Neville Lawrence, the father of knife attack victim Stephen Lawrence, has called on the Met Police to acknowledge issues within the force such as racism and corruption
The father of Stephen Lawrence has accused the Met Police boss of failing to recognise the scale of the problem his force has with racism.
Neville Lawrence was speaking after officers were caught on camera calling for immigrants to be shot, dismissing rape victims and bragging about assaulting suspects. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has promised a fresh drive to root out rotten officers.
But Mr Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered by racist thugs in 1993, has said he will not be able to fix the problem if he does not recognise it. He said: “For many people, including myself, the latest reporting on racism, corruption and misogyny in the Met Police comes as no surprise.
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“This is a sickness that the force was suffering from when Stephen was murdered 32 years ago and we have spent that time highlighting it but still it goes on. I have seen what the Met Commissioner has said in response, claiming that he is rooting out these officers, but this film shows he is only succeeding in encouraging them to hide in the system.
“The only way to fix the Met Police is for the leadership to accept its diagnoses and take the medicine. But Mr Rowley will not do that. Even now he is refusing to accept that the Met is institutionally racist. It’s causing resentment in the black community and the community knows that if anything is wrong, or there is a situation involving the police, they can’t call the Met because they’re not going to do anything. This film shows why.
“They’re not doing their jobs. They’re supposed to be looking after the interests of everybody, no matter what you look like. This is not just about getting rid of officers, it’s about building a Met that reflects London. But if you don’t take that medicine then you’re going to die. Simple as that.”
In the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by PC Wayne Couzens, a report said the Met was “institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic”. But Sir Mark has refused to accept this. In an undercover BBC Panorama report last week, police shared racist views about Muslims and made sexual quips about women being detained.
Undercover reporter Rory Bibb spent seven months as a detention officer in the custody suite of Charing Cross police station in Central London. It was where officers had previously joked about raping women, domestic violence and racism. That led to commissioner Dame Cressida Dick stepping down. The new allegations come on the third anniversary of Sir Mark replacing her with a mandate to address deep concerns over the Met’s culture.
Among officers in the film are Sgt Joe McIlvenny, who allegedly described sexual adventures to colleagues, PC Phil Neilson who spoke out against foreigners and PC Martin Borg who said Muslims were a big problem. One off-duty officer says about immigrants: “Either put a bullet through his head or deport him.” The officer then said he’d use a weapon on some “and let them bleed out”.
Another, overseeing a woman being detained wearing police fancy dress, said: “I’ve paid to see women dressed like this.” One PC, bragging about a colleague stamping on a detainee’s leg, appears to say he offered a false statement. Another said if suspects refuse fingerprints, he could snap their tendons.
Nine officers have been suspended and the police watchdog is probing a wide range of allegations. The custody team has been disbanded. Ahead of the BBC Panorama programme airing on Wednesday, Sir Mark said: “Officers behaving in such appalling, criminal ways, let down our communities and will cause some to question if their sons and daughters are safe in our cells, and whether they would be believed and respected as victims of crime. For that, I am truly sorry.
“In line with our uncompromising approach, within 48 hours of these allegations being received, nine officers and one staff member had been suspended, with two more officers removed from frontline duties. It’s my expectation that for those involved, where there is incontrovertible evidence of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment or bragging about excessive use of force, they will be put on a fast-track hearing within weeks and on a path to likely dismissal.”
On Tuesday, watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched its own inquiry into the claims, said that 11 current and former officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct. One constable was also under criminal investigation, accused of perverting the course of justice.
Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “The federation deplores any discriminatory behaviour in the strongest possible terms – such behaviour has no place in policing or society. If officers are proven to be guilty of criminal offences or serious gross misconduct, then we do not want these individuals in the job. But all police officers – like all people – have the right to representation and due process, and not trial by media or documentary. Or indeed senior officers or politicians.”
On Saturday, the Met Police said a sergeant based at the station had been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. The officer was bailed and suspended from duty.