UK courts will soon see two or three police officers in London charged every week with committing criminal offences including domestic violence, the head of the capital’s police force warned just one day after an officer pleaded guilty to child sex offences.
(Bloomberg) — UK courts will soon see two or three police officers in London charged every week with committing criminal offences including domestic violence, the head of the capital’s police force warned just one day after an officer pleaded guilty to child sex offences.
“We have to prepare for more painful stories” as the force investigates allegations of criminal behavior, London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on Wednesday. “Lifting the stone reveals painful truths that will not be resolved overnight.”
The Met is looking into domestic or sexual past cases involving more than one thousand officers and staff over the past decade as part of a set of reforms, according to a statement.
London’s police force is facing a tidal wave of allegations including corruption, violence against women, and racism. This month has seen several high-profile cases move through the courts, including one officer pleading guilty to 49 serious offences including rape, making him one of the worst sexual offenders in modern history.
Rowley’s comments also came as another police officer pleaded guilty to charges including sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15. Some of those offences had been committed while the officer was serving at a North London school, the Met Police said.
The cases raise concerns about how the Met deals with vetting new recruits and handles allegations against its officers. The spotlight has intensified on the London police force since officer Wayne Couzens raped and murdered 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard in March 2021. The crime sparked horror among the British public and led to protests and demands to better protect women against violence.
Read More: London Police Rapist Undermines Faith in Officers, Sunak Says
Futher reports about police behavior emerged over the course of last year. These included a child being strip-searched while on her period, officers sending rape threats and racial slurs, as well as hiring criminals and misplacing drugs and cash.
Rowley was appointed less than a year ago after his predecessor, Cressida Dick, stepped down in February 2022 when London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he had lost confidence in her leadership.
The police commissioner also apologized to “women across London who feel let down and whose trust in policing is shaken by this.”
“We must improve dramatically for London,” he said.
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