Met Police Slammed for Racism, Sexism and More in Shocking New Report
The Metropolitan Police is engulfed in a culture of racism, sexism, and homophobia — and it just won’t change, a devastating new report reveals. Despite repeated official warnings, Britain’s biggest police force remains mired in scandal and failure.
‘Last-Chance Saloon’ for the Met
The damning report from Louise Casey, set for release Tuesday, pulls no punches. Senior officials have described its contents as “horrible” and “atrocious,” warning the Met is now in the “last-chance saloon.” The force was ordered to commission the review after the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens, exposing deep institutional rot including misogyny and racism.
“The Met’s historic failures are not isolated incidents. They signal a rotten culture entrenched over decades.” – Source familiar with report
Systemic Failures Under the Microscope
- The report slams previous Met leadership for allowing toxic cultures to fester.
- Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick served in the same parliamentary protection unit, where signs of their dangerous behaviour were consistently ignored.
- Lady Casey brands the Met’s attempts at reform as woefully inadequate and threatens to question what happens if the force can’t clean up.
Despite a 1999 inquiry after the Stephen Lawrence case identifying institutional racism, the Met declared it no longer applied in 2010 — a claim Casey’s report strongly disputes. The 300-page document also criticises former Commissioner Cressida Dick’s leadership, linking rising problems from 2017 to 2022, though it notes issues existed before her tenure.
Austerity and Accountability
The Tory austerity cuts since 2010 have battered the Met’s resources, neighborhood policing, and community relationships, says the report. Overworked officers and ignored warning signs allowed predators like Couzens, who was a serial flasher, to slip through the cracks.
The Met was already under intense scrutiny after Couzens’ life sentence sparked public outrage. Dame Louise Casey’s earlier report in October 2022 exposed a broken disciplinary system where complaints were dismissed and corrupt officers, including racists and abusers, remained on the force.
Leadership in Crisis
The Met was dumped in special measures by inspectors last June amid a string of catastrophes. Current Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is said to be shocked by the report’s findings and under pressure to deliver results fast. Sources reveal he has between one and two years to turn things around.
Meanwhile, the Met faces further scrutiny with upcoming inquiries into the Stephen Port serial killer case and the shooting of Chris Kaba. The Kaba family has voiced “concern” over recent resignations at the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is investigating the shooting.
“We find these resignations unsettling and worry about the delay in learning whether criminal charges will follow,” said Kaba’s family.
What Next for London’s Police?
The Casey report is a brutal reckoning for the Met. As the force grapples with its darkest truths, the question looms — can it reform before losing public trust entirely?
The government has also commissioned two more policing reports, including one focusing on the Couzens case, due later this year.
