Sadiq Khan has hit out at outgoing Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick over a “shocking” report into the Met.
The report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found “fundamental flaws” in Scotland Yard’s anti-corruption practices that were described as “unacceptable”.
Khan, who was briefed on the findings of the report in February shortly before Dick’s sudden resignation, said that “Londoners will be shocked” at the scale of the report’s findings as he hit out at Dick’s “failings”.
The report uncovered a litany of failures within the Met, including the recruitment of more than 100 officers with criminal records in the past two years alone and examples of “hundreds of items” of evidence including “cash and drugs” being unaccounted for.
Khan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s shocking. Londoners will be shocked in relation to the findings of the HMIC report, in relation to the checks that aren’t being done that should be done, in relation to those with convictions working in sensitive areas and so forth.
“Londoners now know my views of the current Commissioner. The Met Police Federation and the current Commissioner may not like that I have an important job in holding the police to account but I take it very seriously. The new Commissioner’s job will be to address some of these failings – and they are failings.”
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Though Khan was partially briefed on the report along with Home Secretary Priti Patel and Dick herself before her resignation in February, he said that there were “a number of things” that led to him losing confidence in the Commissioner.
He added: “Clearly, when you have these sorts of failings not being addressed, Londoners will understand why I took the decision that I took.”
Despite her resignation last month, Dick is continuing in her role as Commissioner on a temporary basis while a new Commissioner is recruited.
Khan reiterated his position that the new Commissioner must present a plan for how they intend to restore public confidence in the Met.
He said: “The two pressing issues for the new Commissioner – bearing in mind the failure of the current Commissioner to do this – is one: to have a plan to address these issues. There are deep cultural issues around racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, discrimination and the like. And secondly, a plan to win back the trust and confidence of Londoners. In many communities across London, that has been lost and the Child Q case will make that worse not better.”
The HMICFRS report was ordered by Patel last summer following the findings of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel which concluded the Met was “institutionally corrupt”.
The Home Secretary said that she is “very disappointed” that the serious issues uncovered in the report “still persist” despite some progress in certain areas.
She said: “Standards must be immediately improved. I expect the Mayor of London and the new Commissioner to reverse these deficiencies as a matter of urgency.”
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