Mayor of London statement following Panorama broadcast
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “When I was informed of the appalling police behaviour that would be exposed by BBC Panorama, I knew it would be difficult to watch. But nothing can prepare you for seeing this kind of footage. It was sickening to watch police officers – those who are tasked with keeping our communities safe – display such blatant racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim hatred and excessive use of force.
“I know that I won’t be alone in feeling angry, disgusted and let down by the actions of these officers.
“Since being informed about this matter I have met with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to discuss the horrifying events and the further actions that need to be taken. I am quite clear, there must be zero tolerance of this kind of behaviour, a transformation in Met culture and no hiding place for officers who abuse their position of trust.
“I can assure Londoners that I will continue to hold the Met to account as it makes vital reforms. I will not be satisfied until Londoners have the police they deserve – one that is trusted and delivers the highest possible service to every community in our city.”
Notes to editors
• Officers, staff or members of the public with information or concerns about police behaviour at Charing Cross should contact the IOPC on 0300 303 5736 or [email protected]
• As Mayor, Sadiq has been determined to shine a spotlight on the true extent of the performance and cultural problems within the Met. This pressure has resulted in the Baroness Casey’s review and a New Met for London Plan to address the deep-rooted cultural and performance issues that have been exposed. A follow up assessment of progress made since the Baroness Casey review will be announced by the Mayor of London soon.
• Thanks to record funding and support from City Hall the Met have led the way nationally to raise standards, recruiting extra vetting officers and introducing robust new processes and technology to clean up the Met.
• The Met have launched a reporting line to report corrupt and abusive police officers and staff. The launch is part of a wider programme led by the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command to expose those who have undermined the Met’s integrity, letting Londoners down as well as the decent, honest majority of officers and staff in the Met who want to do a good job. If you have information about a police officer or member of staff who works for the Met and is corrupt, abusing their position and power, please call the hotline on anonymously on 0800 085 0000.
• New powers put forward by Government will boost the Met’s action even further – making background checks a legal requirement for all serving officers, giving the police the authority to automatically sack officers who fail these checks and ensuring that anyone who fails vetting can no longer serve.
• The Mayor of London has acted on the recommendations of the Baroness Casey Review and successfully established a new London Policing Board to oversee and scrutinise reform of the Met. The Board members represent a wide and diverse range of expertise and lived experiences and will continue to support and advise the Mayor in driving the changes in the Met Police that Sadiq has long called for and that Londoners need and deserve.