Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell
The review released on Tuesday, 21 March concluded that the Metropolitan Police Force may need to be broken up to tackle institutional racism, sexism and homophobia.
Baroness Casey was commissioned to carry out the review following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the force in Havering, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham, issued a statement yesterday (Wednesday, 22 March).
In the statement, Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: “I care passionately about delivering local policing and I know my officers do too. This report sparks a range of emotions, but it also increases my resolve to deliver change. We are proud of our officers and staff who had the courage to share their experiences with such honesty.
“We are determined to have a workforce that is overtly and passionately anti-discriminatory – demonstrating this to our communities and removing those individuals who harm this ambition and who are behaving in the appalling ways outlined in the report.
“There are external factors highlighted – funding, governance, growing demand, and resource pressures that shouldn’t sit with policing. The report needs to lead to meaningful change. If it only leads to pillory and blame of the exceptional majority of officers – then only criminals will benefit.
“I know you want actions and real change, not just words. Your views are important and as a leader in the Met I am committed to listening, working with you and our communities and doing everything I can do deliver more trust, accountability and a better local policing service. We need to be better at listening at neighbourhood level and provide a better service to our victims.”
He continued: “I will work tirelessly with my leaders and teams to address the issues we know exist whilst trying to ensure the vast majority of the dedicated, brilliant and decent police officers feel supported.
“Our officers do one of the most difficult, dangerous and demanding jobs in society. It has never been more vital that we focus on leading, retaining and valuing those officers who do remarkable work serving the public.
“We also cannot achieve any transformation without those officers, and without the constructive, critical but also supportive help and advice of the community and the brilliant partners we work with.”
“I look forward to leading these changes locally.”
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Tags: Met Police, Metropolitan Police, East Area BCU
