Hackney politicians welcome Metropolitan Police chief’s plans to banish racism from force

New Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Photograph: Met Police

Hackney Council has voiced its support for plans to tackle racism and sexism within the Metropolitan Police.

In a letter to new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville and community safety boss Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas acknowledged that radical change is needed.

The pair called on Rowley to commit to transforming the force into a “genuinely anti-racist, inclusive organisation”, and urged him to work with Hackney to make the borough an exemplar of the new anti-racist approach.

They wrote: “Like you, we too are appalled by the findings of the interim review by Baroness Casey, which found the Metropolitan Police’s internal disciplinary system to be racist, misogynist and sexist.

“The leadership of Hackney Council was grateful to hear first-hand of your plans to make the radical and necessary changes to the Met to ensure racism – and other forms of bias – is banished once and for all across all parts of the force.

“We are pleased that you have accepted the findings of the review, the impact these failures are having on the trust of Londoners, that you fully acknowledge the problem and the challenge in the Met is one of systems, leadership and culture, and not just about individual officers.

“It will take, as you say, root and branch reform – from better, more disciplined leadership to properly vetted and trained recruits – to make the changes the Met, and the communities it serves, so desperately needs.”

Police in Hackney have faced widespread criticism following the Child Q scandal, which saw a Black teenager strip-searched at school.

Rowley outlined his plans to stamp out racism in an open letter to Baroness Casey, who compiled a damning report on bias within the force earlier this year.

He said racism and misogyny are “just as damaging to [the Met’s] integrity as corrupt relationships with organised crime”, and that police bosses would use the same tactics to tackle these problems, investing resources into a new anti-corruption and abuse command.

Rowley launched an immediate review of the Met’s recruitment and training processes in order to “bring the right people into the organisation” and established a Met Leadership Academy to ensure that those at the higher levels of the force also uphold standards.

The Commissioner wrote: “As you know, these steps are just the start of tackling these extremely serious issues. This is a sobering moment for the Met after a series of scandals and falling public confidence.

“Some changes can be made rapidly, but we know that others, which are more focused on culture, will take longer to establish and have effect, and will be informed by further insight from your final report.”