Monday, December 9, 2024
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Casey Report could sink public confidence in the Metropolitan Police and all British Police forces, warns Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

The publication of the Casey Report has been described as a pivotal moment for the Metropolitan Police and all British Police forces. The report, which was commissioned by the Home Office in the wake of the Sarah Everard case, has been highly critical of the Metropolitan Police’s handling of protests and its treatment of women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.

In a press release, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE warned that the report could sink public confidence in the police for years to come. “You can’t police with the public’s consent if you have lost their confidence and trust, and too many awful cases of police abuse of authority, corruption, and criminality are now permanently seared into the public’s memory,” she said.

Bourne went on to call for root and branch reform of the police, including wider diversity, better vetting and re-vetting of officers and staff, and increased investment in resources. “It will cost the MET and all forces to make the necessary changes and investment,” she said. “That will take money and resources and valuable leadership time from senior officers…but we can’t afford not to. You can’t catch criminals with crooked cops.”

The Commissioner also suggested that the Metropolitan Police might be too large to provide a consistent level of neighborhood policing across its 32 boroughs and that some areas might be better served by county forces.

Bourne acknowledged that the majority of the Metropolitan Police’s workforce are honest, professional, and committed public servants but said that the police needed to meet and uphold the highest standards. “Police officers have powers that we don’t so they need to reflect the communities they are drawn from but it doesn’t mean accepting that a certain proportion will be corrupt or incompetent,” she said.

The Casey Report has already led to calls for significant changes within the police, and it remains to be seen how the police will respond to these renewed calls for reform.

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