A government-commissioned report published in March accused police of “rooted homophobia” and aggressive behavior as minority officers suffered widespread bullying.
The head of the law enforcement watchdog said Friday that public trust in police in England and Wales was “hanging by a thread” after a series of scandals he described as “appalling”.
Andy Cook, head of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), said the police were at a “historic turning point” and called for “decisive action” to restore confidence in them.
In his annual assessment, Cook called for legal powers to be given so that police forces can be ordered to improve their work when there are serious public safety concerns.
Cook also warned that corrupt cops automatically delete messages sent to their colleagues to avoid being tracked.
“Police need to redouble their efforts to identify people who are besmirching the reputation of Britain’s proud police force,” he said. “We will never be able to completely remove every corrupt police officer, but the police must do all they can to ensure that these individuals are identified as quickly as possible.”
The Metropolitan Police force, the largest in the country, has been beset by a series of scandals. Wayne Cousins, who served with the Diplomatic Protection Squad, has been sentenced to life in prison for the abduction, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in south London in 2021.
Another ASU officer, David Carrick, pleaded guilty to 24 counts of rape and a series of other sexual offenses over nearly two decades. The other is serving a life sentence.
A government-commissioned report published in March accused police of “rooted homophobia” and aggressive behavior as minority officers suffered widespread bullying.
Last month, the outgoing Chief Constable of Scotland called the force a “racist” and “discriminatory” institution after a review into its culture.
