Sadiq Khan Reveals Plan To Fix Met Police Amid Racism And Homophobia
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has published his plan to restore trust in the city’s disgraced Metropolitan Police.
With half of Londoners disapproving of the Met, Khan unveiled on Thursday (March 24) his four-point Police and Crime Plan to improve trust, reduce crime and drive out “the racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, and misogyny that still exist” within the ranks of the Met.
After consulting with nearly 4,000 Londoners, including crime victims, community groups, and businesses, Khan said his “number one priority” is to make the capital city safer.
According to Olxpraca, the four areas for improvement identified by the mayor’s office are: violent crime reduction and prevention; increase public confidence; improve support for victims and protect young people from exploitation and harm. In light of Sarah Everard’s death, ending violence against women and girls will be a priority, she added.
“We appreciate that public trust has been shaken by a series of deeply concerning incidents that have called into question the culture and standards of the [Metropolitan Police],” Khan said in a statement.
“When trust is eroded, it becomes more difficult to address crime, as victims don’t report crime and witnesses are discouraged from coming forward when they see criminals.”
Years of deep mistrust of the London police force have come to a head in recent years, notably following the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a Met officer.
The Met has long had a reputation for racism and other prejudice. In February, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) released a damning report that found evidence of Met police officers engaging in deeply racist, xenophobic, homophobic and misogynistic acts of discrimination and harassment.
The resulting backlash forced Met boss Cressida Dick to resign.
Just this week, a leaked IOPC report suggested that Met police officers made assumptions about “gay men’s lifestyles” when investigating the murders by Stephen Port.
Inquiries into the Port crimes heard that the officers were guilty of “institutional homophobia.” Although jurors were asked not to consider whether such biases played a role in their victim’s death, police errors were found to “probably” contribute.
Khan said in his plan that such issues “must be confronted and addressed, not only for the benefit of Londoners but also for the tens of thousands of dedicated, caring, and professional civil servants and staff who have been sorely disappointed by the appalling behavior and bad behavior of others.”
Among Khan’s plans to rebuild trust, the Met’s disciplinary process will face increased scrutiny as community-led training for officers unfolds.
Khan’s plan noted that trust in the police is lower among the LGBTQ+, Black and mixed-race communities: 50% of black Londoners, 47% of mixed-race Londoners and 52% of LGBTQ+ Londoners feel they are treated fairly, compared to an average of 64%.
The mayor’s office wants to fix this, including by addressing “concerns about disproportionality in the use of certain police powers affecting Black Londoners.”
Not only is one of Khan’s key goals to reduce violent crime, but the mayor also said the force must address “underlying causes” by taking a “public health approach.”
Claire Waxman, London’s Independent Commissioner for Victims, welcomed the plan, saying it “rightly prioritizes the rights and needs of victims.”
“I am also pleased to see a clear recognition that public trust and confidence has been damaged and urgently needs to be rebuilt,” Waxman added.
“It is crucial for the individual welfare and protection of victims and for public safety in general that victims feel empowered to come forward and the Mayor’s new Crime and Policing Plan will help us achieve this in London.”
Public confidence in the force has sunk to new lows in recent months. The Met’s response to a series of lockdown break parties held in Downing Street further eroded trust, with more than half of Britons barely trusting the Met’s investigation, a February report Ipsos survey found.
For Black Britons, trust in the Met plummeted by five per cent from 2020 to 2021, falling to just 37% according to YouGov.
According to government figures 9 out of 10 victims of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes do not report the incident to the authorities.
Read related myGwork articles here:
Star Of The Black Cop Film Calls London Police Out On Racism
Dame Cressida Dick “Says Met Police Reputation Is Tarnished” In Letter To Staff
Met Police: Culture Of “Disgraceful Behavior” Including Homophobia, Racism, And Misogyny Exposed
Sadiq Khan Defends Police Presence At Pride Events
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