The Metropolitan Police have been recognized for addressing significant shortcomings and have been taken off special measures following over two years of heightened oversight.
This announcement was made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services on Thursday.
The Met, which is the largest police force in Britain, employs nearly 25% of officers across England and Wales.
This development marks a notable victory for its commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, who assumed office in September 2022. Sir Rowley is midway through his five-year term and has vowed to implement reforms in the wake of various scandals.
The Met was officially placed in special measures, referred to as Engage, in June 2022. This was the first instance of such a designation and was perceived as a significant setback.
The previous commissioner, Cressida Dick, was dismissed in February 2022 amid a series of crises and controversies, including the murder of Sarah Everard by Met officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021. Dick was criticized by both national and local officials for her handling of the situation thereafter.
The duration of the Met’s time in Engage was prolonged because, although some serious problems were resolved, inspectors identified additional critical weaknesses.
One inspection revealed that officers attempted to dissuade children from reporting alleged sexual abuse and privately assigned blame to young victims for the crimes they experienced. Most investigations related to child exploitation were deemed inadequate.
Currently, the Met has increased its public protection team by an additional 500 officers and has provided cultural training to the majority of its personnel.
The force has shown progress after initially being criticized for its inadequate response to calls, mishandling investigations into missing children, allowing victim-blaming attitudes to persist, and failing to manage offenders appropriately or address issues related to corrupt officers.
Rowley’s leadership has faced significant scandals, many linked to the Met’s troubled history.
In addition to Couzens, who was determined by an inquiry to never have been suitable for police work, the force overlooked multiple warning signs that permitted David Carrick to remain in service as a Met officer, despite his history as a serial rapist.
In February 2023, a report by Louise Casey branded the force as institutionally racist, homophobic, and anti-women. Rowley, however, did not accept these conclusions.
Lee Freeman, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, stated, “I am pleased with the significant progress that the Metropolitan Police Service has achieved thus far. While there remains much work ahead, I have recommended that the service be removed from our enhanced monitoring, known as Engage, and be reverted to routine evaluations.”
Freeman expressed confidence in the strategic plans Rowley has implemented for continued sustainable improvements. He emphasized that the inspectorate would keep a close watch on the Met’s advancement to ensure that residents and workers in the capital receive the quality service they deserve.
The Met’s two-year stay in special measures highlighted the depth of its problems, casting a shadow over its reputation and that of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is accountable for the force.
Rowley remarked, “The entire Met has come together to rebuild our damaged foundations and ensure our officers are prepared to serve London. Their achievements are especially commendable given the budget constraints and shrinking resources we face, alongside rising demands.”
Khan stated, “I am pleased that His Majesty’s Inspectorate has confirmed the substantial progress made by the Met in terms of both operational performance and cultural transformation.
“Emergency calls are now being responded to more quickly, vetting processes are being enhanced, and neighborhood policing is being revitalized.
“Having requested the HMI to specifically scrutinize child sexual exploitation concerns, it’s encouraging to see significant improvements in this sphere, particularly regarding missing children and the use of victim-blaming language. However, there is still much work to be done.”
A senior insider familiar with the situation remarked on the transition out of Engage, saying, “It indicates a move from being in a very poor state to just a poor state.”
The inspectorate needed assurance that the Met had a realistic strategy for change that had the potential to succeed.
Challenges persist, including the Met’s inability to recruit enough officers, an issue expected to exacerbate. Rowley noted that the force is facing a shortfall of hundreds of millions of pounds.
