By Gabriel Princewill-
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has stressed its grave concern about the behaviour of racist and misogynistic police officers involved in its ongoing investigations after the regulator’s director today said her organisation said the behaviour of officers shown on Panorama was “deeply troubling” and it’s her intention that the IOPC’s investigation will enable the Met to hold fast-track disciplinary procedures as soon as possible, where there are clear breaches of professional standards.
She emphasised the intolerable conduct of the officers in question, and expressed an urgency to ensure they are held accountable in a ”timely” and ”robust” manner. The repulsive behaviour of the shameful officers has been castigated severely in many quarters; but sadly this kind of conduct has become synonymous with a gutter culture endemic in some segments of the Metropolitan Police.
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How pervasive this myopic and egregious practise is in the force, is anybody’s guess. The dishonourable officers caught may represent a relative small fraction of the entire force, but when serving officers are repeatedly caught exhibiting such abominable behaviour, it can easily prompt a cynical vantage point of assessing the force’s commitment to obliterating such backward and prejudicial conduct from their midst.
The IOPC’s strong rebuke follows a recent BBC Panorama documentary uncovered a culture of blatant racism, misogyny, and excessive force within a Metropolitan Police custody unit, causing widespread public outrage. Consequently, the IOPC is pushing for swift and decisive action to remove officers who have fundamentally betrayed public trust.
BBC Panorama reporter Rory Bibb, who spent seven months working alongside police officers at Charing Cross police station. Pic: BBC
The IOPC investigation is already underway after the Metropolitan Police referred the matter to the independent watchdog. Its stated intention is that the probe will enable the Met to hold fast-track disciplinary procedures as soon as possible, especially where clear breaches of professional standards are evident.
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The BBC Panorama programme, which featured an undercover reporter working for seven months as a Designated Detention Officer at Charing Cross police station, captured truly disturbing footage. It revealed officers making openly anti-Muslim and anti-women comments, supporting far-right figures like Tommy Robinson, and bragging about using excessive force against suspects.
One officer was recorded suggesting that an immigrant who had overstayed his visa should be shot, or for “the ones that shag women, rape women,” that they should “do the cock and let them bleed out.
He described Algerians and Somalians as “scum,” claiming that Britain was facing an “invasion” by migrants. Another officer laughed about a colleague stamping on a detainee’s leg and reportedly offered to provide a false witness statement to cover up the incident.
Another shocking example depicted up to eight officers restraining a 17-year-old autistic teenager for two hours after he threw a pillow. These clear examples demonstrate the severity of the misconduct allegations concerning racist and misogynistic police officers.
Expressing her disappointment, she said:
“The documentary showed some appalling examples of officer conduct; it was policing at its worst and will have left viewers shocked by what they saw.
“We are leading the investigation into these officers and have already made good progress. We have identified a number of officers for whom we believe quick-time disciplinary procedures can be initiated.
“There is clearly no place in policing for people displaying the attitudes, behaviour and culture we saw last night. The public would rightly expect swift action to ensure they are removed from service.
“Where there is sufficient evidence to establish an officer’s actions constitute gross misconduct, and it is in the public interest, they can and should face fast-track proceedings at which they can be dismissed at the earliest opportunity. Our investigators are conducting urgent assessments of those matters in line with proper processes.
“We are repeating our request to the BBC to provide us with any relevant un-transmitted material, which we need for our investigation and misconduct processes. Its cooperation will assist us to progress these matters swiftly.
“It is in everyone’s interest that any officers found to have committed very clear misconduct breaches are dealt with in a timely and robust manner.””
Ms. Watson’s strong statement reflects the public’s loss of confidence in individuals whose primary duty is protection. She emphasized that officers displaying the negative attitudes, behaviour, and culture seen on the program simply have “no place in policing.”
Scope Of Investigation
The IOPC has confirmed the scope of its investigation involves at least 11 individuals. This total comprises nine serving Metropolitan Police officers, one retired officer, and one designated detention officer who is a civilian member of staff.
Ten of these individuals have been served with notices for potential gross misconduct. Critically, one police constable has also been informed they face a criminal investigation on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. These allegations of misconduct are said to have occurred both on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025.
The Metropolitan Police said they have suspended nine officers and one staff member immediately after the allegations were received. The Met’s Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, admitted his force has a “toxic legacy” of prejudice that has “put down deep roots,” and apologized for the “reprehensible and completely unacceptable” behaviour.
A Met Police constable a few days ago was also told they are the subject of a criminal investigation on suspicion of perverting the course of justice following the BBC investigation
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Sir Mark has promised that any officer found with “incontrovertible evidence of racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim sentiment or bragging about excessive use of force” would be put on a fast-track hearing within weeks, leading to a likely dismissal.
This commitment to remove racist and misogynistic police officers is a critical step towards reform which has been expressed in the past, yet the absence of a robust framework designed to efficiently identify and filter out misfits during the vetting process remains the force’s Achilles Heel .
