Police must stamp out ‘sexism, racism and homophobia in their ranks’, MPs warn
Police chiefs must overhaul recruitment, vetting and disciplinary processes to restore public confidence and catch criminals, MPs warned last night.
The Home Affairs Select Committee said chief constables should introduce a “fitness to practice model” which will examine potential recruits’ motivations, skills and attributes.
Some officers are only drawn to the police “because of the power it wields”, MPs warned.
Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Diana Johnson MP said: “Current mechanisms for rooting out bad behaviour, unprofessionalism and even serious criminality among serving officers are simply not good enough. Forces need to face up to the reality of sexism, racism and homophobia in their ranks and take systemic action to stamp it out.
“The Met have set the right example to forces nationwide, for instance, by banning police officers from paying for sex and so perpetrating commercial sexual exploitation. This policy should be adopted by every force across the country.
“Policing in the 21st century faces many complex and evolving challenges. The Government must ensure that long-term strategic direction, as well as resourcing, is in place that will enable police forces across the country to meet that challenge.”
The Home Office was last night warned attempts to fight crime would fail without “public trust and confidence”.
But reforms are not being enacted quickly enough, MPs said.
Policing has been engulfed by scandals following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer and the horrific case of PC David Carrick, who has been unmasked as one of Britain’s worst sex offenders.
The Home Affairs Select Committee said increasing neighbourhood policing will restore broken relationships with communities.
The Committee of MPs said: “Thousands of committed police officers diligently serve their communities around the country, however serious wrongdoing by serving officers and evidence of toxic workplace cultures continues to undermine policing.
“Efforts to root out and remove those seeking to abuse their position of power must be redoubled.
“Vetting procedures should be robust and standardised across the country, replacing the existing assortment of approaches taken by different police forces.
“Vetting should take place on recruitment, transfer to another force, and when officers are suspected of wrong-doing.
“Any forces that fail to adequately implement such measures should be sanctioned.”
The Home Office must consider working with the police watchdog, the Independent Office of Police Conduct, to aligning criminal probes into corrupt officers with disciplinary investigations.
The MPs said: “Public confidence that allegations against officers will be taken seriously is eroded by the drawn out disciplinary process. It should not take two to three years to decide whether an officer facing serious allegations should be dismissed.”
Police chiefs are being given more powers to sack more corrupt and abusive officers to restore public confidence after a series of scandals.
Rogue officers who fail vetting checks will be dismissed and those who are found guilty of gross misconduct will be automatically removed, under new law changes.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said chief constables “have not had the powers they need” to root out “those who have no place” in the police “for too long”.
The changes come after PC David Carrick waged a campaign of terror and humiliation against women for decades.
The Metropolitan Police ignored nine warnings about Carrick’s behaviour. The case fractured the already fragile trust in the police after the horrific kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by PC Wayne Couzens.
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