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Policing by consent is a fundamental principle that underpins modern democratic societies. It is a concept rooted in the belief that the authority of the police derives from the consent and cooperation of the public they serve, as opposed to the power of the state.
| Police officers deny assaulting care home amputee Two Sussex Police officers have pleaded not guilty to assaulting an amputee pensioner, who had dementia, with pepper spray and a Taser at a care home. Donald Burgess, 93, died in hospital 22 days later. BBC News 26th April 2024 |
| Misconduct proven against former Met Police officer Misconduct hearing finds that a former Met Police officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned. He AirDropped sexual messages to passengers on a train and sent an unwanted sexually explicit personal image to a female colleague. Met Police News 25th April 2024 |
| St George’s Day and accusations of ‘two-tier policing’ Metropolitan Police officers has been involved in a clash with flag-waving protesters as groups gathered down Whitehall to mark St George’s Day. Officers were accused of “two-tier” policing on social media over Scotland Yard’s handling of pro-Palestine protests. GB News 24th April 2024 |
| Under-fire Met boss Sir Mark Rowley defends ‘professional’ officer The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has defended the ‘professional’ conduct of the officer who threatened to arrest an ‘openly Jewish’ campaigner at a pro-Palestine march. Daily Mail 23rd April 2024 |
| Only 40% of people in England trust their police force The poll followed work by academics commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council, and is published in the journal Policing and Society. 40% of people in England say they trust the police, with the UK’s biggest force, the Metropolitan Police, getting the lowest rating. Guardian 22nd April 2024 |
| Met Police apologises twice The Met Police has said an officer’s use of the term was “hugely regrettable”, but added that a video shared by the Campaign Against Antisemitism will “further dent the confidence of many Jewish Londoners”. Sky News 20th April 2024 |
| Metropolitan Police has been branded ‘beyond appalling’ An officer threatened to arrest a Jewish man trying to cross the road at a pro-Palestine march because his ‘presence was antagonising’ and ‘breaching the peace’ because he was ‘quite openly Jewish’. Daily Mail 19th April 2024 |
| Sussex Police and Antisocial Behaviour Sussex Police authorised community notices and dispersal orders in a bid to continue tackling anti-social behaviour across West Sussex. The public are always urged to report crime and anti-social behaviour. V2 Radio 18th April 2024 |
| Police instructor removed female trainees’ earrings with bolt cutters A Dorset Police instructor allegedly ordered three female trainees to place their heads on a table and used bolt cutters to remove their earrings, a disciplinary hearing has been told. The Guardian 17th April 2024 |
| Police car stolen in Rochdale A statement was issued by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) saying the vehicle was stolen after a police officer had left it following a pursuit to detain a man in his 20s in a nearby shop. Oldham Times 16th April 2024 |
| Sussex PC cleared of three sex attack charges PC Daniel Julian of Sussex Police was acquitted on Friday by a jury at Lewes Crown Court after a five day trial. BBC News 15th April 2024 |
| Met Police knew about Westminster ‘honeytrap’ messages The Met Police were first made aware of suspicious ‘honeytrap’ messages targeting men at Westminster late last year, but did not warn MPs. BBC News 12th April 2024 |
| Met Police to relook at decision to charge Caroline Flack The TV star was facing prosecution for assaulting her boyfriend when she killed herself in February 2020. The Crown Prosecution Service had said Flack should get only a caution – but the Met Police appealed and she was charged. BBC News 11th April 2024 |
| Met Police refers itself to watchdog The Met Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after taking hours to respond to calls raising concerns about a young women’s welfare before she was found stabbed to death in her home near Hyde Park. Standard 10th April 2024 |
| Sussex Police officer denies hotel room sex attack A police officer barged into a woman’s hotel room wearing a towel and tried to rape her, a trial at Lewes Crown Court has heard. Sussex Police said Mr Julian was suspended from duty after he was charged over the incident in April 2023. BBC News 9th April 2024 |
| Met Police officer touches female colleague under clothes in ‘sexual assault’ – but keeps his job Sergeant Daniel Fletcher, attached to the Met Police Specialist Firearms Command, appeared before a misconduct hearing. He was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Discreditable Conduct and Respect, Authority and Courtesy in respect of allegations he touched a female officer inappropriately in May 2017. Mirror 8th April 2024 |
| Mayor of London condemns Met Police Sadiq Khan has condemned the Met Police’s delayed response in removing swastikas shown at a pro-Palestine march, after officers were filmed telling a Jewish woman they needed to be “taken in context”. LBC 5th April 2024 |
| West Midlands Police officer filmed himself having sex with a woman at a work Christmas party PC Daryl Watson was at the event at the National Exhibition Centre outside Birmingham when he disappeared into the toilet area with the woman, who was not identified. West Midlands Police launched an investigation into what happened. Daily Mail 4th April 2024 |
| Met Police officer dismissed for making ‘sexualised remarks’ A misconduct hearing found that Sergeant Neil Shipsey, who was based in the Central East Command Unit, was found to have breached the Metropolitan Police standards of professional behaviour. The Standard 3rd April 2024 |
| Outrage after Met officer says swastikas ‘need to be taken into context’ The Metropolitan Police stressed that the person with the swastika sign had already been arrested at the time of this conversation. The Standard 2nd April 2024 |
| Met Police vows to take ‘swift and decisive action’ against protestors Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said ‘swift and decisive action’ will follow any criminal activity at the march. The Metropolitan Police has been undergoing heavy criticism for its ‘light touch’ policing of the dozens of pro-Palestine marches that have taken place since the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. Daily Mail 30th March 2024 |
| Met Police officer charged with Croydon child sexual assault Pc Anthony Rowley, 51, worked in the Met Police South Area Command which covers Bromley, Sutton and Croydon. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with four counts of sexual assault on a girl under the age of 14. News Shopper 28th March 2024 |
| Sadiq Khan promises 1,300 new Met Police officers The mayor said that if he is re-elected, he will put in place “around 1,300” additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs and special constables. The mayor has been criticised over the fact that the Met Police were last year the only force in England and Wales to miss their recruitment targets. MSN 27th March 2024 |
| Serving Met Police officer charged with strangling and assaulting woman while off-duty PC Mahad Abdalla was arrested following an alleged incident on Saturday involving a woman he knew. The Met Police said PC Abdalla, who is attached to the Territorial Support Group, was suspended from duties. The Standard 26th March 2024 |
| Met Police ‘Rich List’ Over 290 top officers and staff were paid more than £100,000, with the highest pay of £313,366, including benefits and pensions, going to assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe. It comes after public confidence in the embattled Met Police hits a record low. City AM 25th March 2024 |
| Met police officer ‘stole cash from a man’s corpse’ A Metropolitan Police officer allegedly stole cash from the corpse of an Italian filmmaker after he died suddenly on a busy street. ‘This was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) the same month, and in January 2023, the IOPC directed it should be investigated locally by the Met. Daily Mail 23rd March 2024 |
| Commissioner responds to Home Office Accountability Review and report into IOPC “We know that the public’s confidence in policing has been shaken in recent years. We are relentlessly pursuing and removing those hundreds who corrupt our integrity…..Policing is united on the need for urgent accountability reform.” Met Police News 22nd March 2024 |
| Met Police diversity teams tell black women they have to ‘work harder’ than white colleagues A Metropolitan Police diversity team has come under fire for sharing videos that include claims that black women have to “work harder” than their white colleagues. A leading anti-racism campaigner said that the footage had a “strong whiff of desperation” that was “embarrassing” and harmed the force’s outreach to their target audience. GB News 21st March 2024 |
| Met Police officer sanctioned for juror contact during trial It found that the unnamed Met Police officer, who was attached to the specialist crime command, had breached the standards of professional behaviour in terms of honesty and integrity. Law Society Gazette 20th March 2024 |
| Met Police officer who lied about being mobbed in Clapham pub fight dismissed A Metropolitan Police officer who lied about being surrounded by 50 people during a fight in a south London pub would have been fired had she not already quit. The Standard 19th March 2024 |
| Author ‘arrested after reporting death threats from Met Police officers’ A former cop claims she has been arrested and “gagged” after reporting online abuse including death threats allegedly received from serving Met Police officers. Express 18th March 2024 |
| Met Police pays £10,000 to woman arrested at Sarah Everard vigil The Metropolitan Police has paid out £10,000 to a woman arrested at a vigil for Sarah Everard. “Their actions were found by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to have been appropriate and no misconduct was identified by our Professional Standards teams.” Sky News 15th March 2024 |
| Met Police’s corrupt police officer hotline is rolled out nationally An anti-corruption hotline to report corruption in the Metropolitan Police is being launched nationwide. The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service, run by Crimestoppers, was launched for the force in November 2022 and has seen almost 3,000 online reports and calls regarding the force. It is used to report officers and staff for corruption, abuse and other breaches of trust or power. BBC News 14th March 2024 |
| Sussex Police officer charged with assault Dale Hughes, 29, is charged with two counts of assault, being drunk and disorderly and harassment following an alleged incident in Worthing on 2 December. Sussex Police said it would consider misconduct proceedings for Mr Hughes after criminal proceedings had concluded. BBC News 13th March 2024 |
| Cambridgeshire Police criticised for sex offender management A police force must answer 999 calls faster and improve the management of risks posed by registered sex offenders in the community, inspectors have said. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services rated Cambridgeshire Constabulary inadequate in those areas. BBC News 12th March 2024 |
| Nottinghamshire Police moved into enhanced monitoring “We move police forces into our enhanced level of monitoring, known as Engage, when a force is not responding to our concerns, or if it is not managing, mitigating or eradicating these concerns.”. There are now 6 Police Forces in Engage. HMCIFRS 11th March 2024 |
| Met Police Commissioner reflects on officers being caught in the middle of public debate “Officers are regularly becoming the anvil on which society beats out its problems, and are being accused of being both woke and fascist for the exact same actions…..There aren’t many professions where from the minute you arrive at an incident to the minute you leave, you are filmed and then critiqued by an army of armchair commentators.” Met Police Blog 11th March 2024 |
| Met Police accused of ‘emboldening’ the mob after ‘Hamas is terrorist’ counter-protester arrested “This shameful incident is the logical endpoint of consistently prioritising ‘community relations’ over even-handedly enforcing the law: the mob is emboldened and free-speech is threatened,” he said. “It’s a chilling inversion of what law-enforcement is about. Two-tier policing must end.” The Telegraph 11th March 2024 |
| Police Scotland will not investigate every crime Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond of Police Scotland said the new process was not a policy of non-investigation. “We are committed to investigating crime….Every crime report is subject of individual assessment of threat, harm, risk, vulnerability and for proportionate lines of investigation and evidence, and that won’t change”. BBC News 8th March 2024 |
| Met Police apologise to cyclist The Metropolitan Police have apologised to a cyclist who reported a Range Rover driver for using a mobile at the wheel, but then found himself accused of breaking the law. Daily Mail 7th March 2024 |
| Married Sussex Police officer left his force radio on after sneaking off for sex Sussex Police inspector Darren Lane is accused of having sex with a female colleague while on duty. He denies the claims and says he went to her home to work. Inspector Lane told the panel: ‘There was no sexual contact. I’ve never had sex on duty or any sexual contact on duty. Daily Mail 6th March 2024 |
| Greater Manchester Police officer drags homeless man along ground Footage of a Greater Manchester Police officer dragging a rough sleeper along the ground was obtained by BBC News. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the incident “must not be repeated”. GMP said the officer’s behaviour, which took place last September, “fell below the standard we expect”. BBC News 5th March 2024 |
| Sussex Police officer sacked for inappropriate behaviour PC Richard Hession, 44, kissed the colleague, known as Officer A, which was “unwanted and unsolicited”. On another occasion he was found in a hotel room with the same colleague while she was intoxicated and she messaged for help, a panel heard. Sussex Police said officers were expected to act with the “utmost integrity”. BBC News 4th March 2024 |
| City of London police admit Action Fraud replacement delayed The long-awaited replacement service for Action Fraud, the United Kingdom’s much maligned national reporting centre for fraud and financially motivated cybercrime, will not be live by April as previously planned. The move to a new service follows damning criticism of the British government’s response to fraud from the Justice Committee. The Record 1st March 2024 |
| Police banned from Sydney Mardi Gras Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade has a complex history of both LGBT activism and police brutality. The parade’s board said the decision to exclude police, who have taken part in the annual march for over two decades, was “not taken lightly……the relationship between police and the community is at complete rock bottom and there is no confidence and trust in them” BBC News 28th Feb 2024 |
| Sussex Police AI motoring cameras New safety cameras are being trialled in Sussex to detect if drivers are using phones or not wearing seatbelts. Footage is processed by technology, using artificial intelligence (AI), before images are passed to Sussex police for consideration. BBC News 27th Feb 2024 |
| Metropolitan Police receives just six applications The Metropolitan Police received just six applications during its most recent armed officer recruitment drive as hundreds quit following an officer being charged with the murder of Chris Kaba. The Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) is made up of around 2,500 Met police officers who work as volunteers with no extra pay. Daily Mail 26th Feb 2024 |
| West Yorkshire Police officer to undergo reflective practice A West Yorkshire Police (WYP) officer known as ‘Lesbian Nana’ must reflect over their part in the arrest of a 16-year-old girl in Leeds in August 2023 following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation. Video footage showing part of the arrest was shared widely on social media at the time and showed the girl being arrested and being led from a house by officers. IOPC 24th Feb 2024 |
| Ex-Met police officer convicted of multiple counts of rape A man recruited by the Metropolitan police as an officer despite being accused of raping a child was convicted on Wednesday of 13 counts of raping a woman and a child, as well as kidnap. “I know this is another case which will impact the confidence people have in us. We are doing more than we have done in decades to rid the Met of those who corrupt our integrity.” The Guardian 22nd February 2024 |
| Bedfordshire PC admits perverting justice in relation to speeding fine Sabrina Kaur, who worked for Bedfordshire Police, pled guilty to the charge at Cambridge Crown Court. Bedfordshire Police had said: “The incident relates to a speeding fine while both were off-duty.” BBC News 21st Feb 2024 |
| Met chief Sir Mark Rowley blasts ‘vile and misogynistic’ trolls Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Karen Findlay’s move from the Met to the British Transport Police (BTP) had been “targeted by online trolls, many anonymous, making horrendous personal sexist and homophobic comments…..I am angry. My colleagues are angry. It isn’t acceptable and it’s happening too often” Sky News 19th Feb 2024 |
| Met Police officers injured in bus crash Six Metropolitan Police officers were among nine people taken to hospital when a police van collided with a bus in south London. A shopkeeper who witnessed the crash said the police van had its blue lights on when it turned into the junction and crossed the path of the number 36 bus, which “couldn’t stop”. BBC News 15th Feb 2024 |
| To Catch a Copper Jaw-dropping documentary series which, like the real Line of Duty, unearths shocking cases of corrupt officers in Avon and Somerset Police. Channel 4 14th Feb 2024 |
| Metropolitan Police leaving vulnerable children at risk of exploitation The Metropolitan Police Service’s response to the criminal and sexual exploitation of children is not currently effective, with the force not doing enough when children are suffering from, or at risk of, exploitation, a new report has found. “It is particularly concerning that the Metropolitan Police Service isn’t doing enough when children are suffering from, or at risk of, exploitation.” His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) 9th Feb 2024 |
| Met use facial recognition technology to get justice in bus attack Met Police detectives have secured justice for a bus driver who sustained serious injuries after being stabbed while driving his route in Tower Hamlets. ““The use of facial recognition technology and CCTV footage allowed officers to quickly identify and locate….” Met Police 8th Feb 2024 |
| Hertfordshire policeman demoted for selling his trousers An inspector who sold his police trousers for £4 online has had his rank reduced after being found guilty of gross misconduct at a hearing. Owen Hurley of Hertfordshire Police admitted he sold the item on Vinted, a second-hand selling app. “You have described it as a mistake… I would describe it as stupid.” BBC News 7th Feb 2024 |
| Met Police officer threatened to stab woman he raped, court told A former Metropolitan Police officer, charged with 13 counts of rape, tied up one of his alleged victims, and threatened to stab her and slit her throat, a jury has been told. Croydon Crown Court heard the woman got into a car with Cliff Mitchell who told her he would stab her if she tried to escape or was sick in his vehicle. BBC News 6th Feb 2024 |
| Black police officers’ group calls for ethnic minorities to boycott joining Met The National Black Police Association (NBPA) has called for ethnic minorities to boycott joining the Metropolitan police in protest at a “racist and vexatious” misconduct investigation into a leading officer. The Guardian 5th February 2024 |
| To Catch a Copper Jaw-dropping documentary series which, like the real Line of Duty, unearths shocking cases of corrupt officers in Avon and Somerset Police. Officers are investigated for serious misconduct and sexual exploitation. Channel 4 1st February 2024 |
| Police officers mock body-worn video of semi-naked woman The woman’s body was exposed when she was filmed suffering from a seizure. Three Thames Valley Police PCs later watched the footage without reason. None of the officers faced a misconduct hearing but a student officer who reported them was later dismissed. The student officer who reported his colleagues says the force covered up the incident. BBC News 31st January 2024 |
| Met Police Special Constable tells Christian singer she is ‘not allowed to sing church songs outside church’ A volunteer Met Police officer has sparked anger after telling a Christian singer that she is “not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds”. “Are you saying that you don’t care about the Human Rights Act?” – before accusing her of ‘laughing’. This prompted the volunteer Met Police officer to stick her tongue out at the singer. LBC 30th January 2024 |
| Public have lost faith in the Met Police Public confidence in the Metropolitan Police has collapsed since Sadiq Khan entered City Hall, new figures released by the London Assembly have shown. In April 2016, the Metropolitan Police could be relied upon by 76 per cent of the population, while 75 per cent considered they treated everyone fairly. According to newly released figures, some 58 per cent of people say the police can be relied upon, while 63% suggest they deal with everyone fairly. Daily Mail 29th January 2024 |
| Results published in policing’s largest integrity screening project The publication of the largest integrity screening project undertaken in policing, with over 307,000 officers, staff and volunteers checked against the Police National Database (PND). 461 of those were referred to an appropriate authority and of these: 9 triggered further criminal investigation 88 triggered disciplinary investigation 139 triggered vetting clearance 128 triggered management intervention 97 required no further action NPCC 23rd January 2024 |
| Met police officer is investigated for sharing CCTV footage of sex assault A spokesperson for the Met Police said: ‘A police constable, attached to the west area basic command unit, was arrested by professional standards officers on 12 September 2022 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Daily Mail 19th January 2024 |
| Met Police apologises after homeless tents destroyed Sir Mark Rowley commissioner of the Met Police admitted that officers acted unlawfully when issuing a dispersal order and some tents were thrown into bin lorries. BBC News 18th January 2024 |
| Met Police officer called colleague ‘p*key street drinker’ The Asian Met Police officer that Police Sergeant Elisha Hill made the comment to initially heard it as “I bet you were like a p*ki street drinker”. “While using the word was influenced by her background, was out of character……she acknowledged in her evidence, the word p*key is offensive and is equally as offensive to a different group of people, namely those from the gypsy and traveller community.” News Shopper 17th January 2024 |
| Met Police ‘looking into’ video of activist telling pro-Palestine crowd in London ‘massacres should become status quo’ “A video of remarks made by one of the speakers at yesterday’s protest in central London has been shared extensively online.” “They are assessing the matter and as part of that assessment will be seeking to speak to the individual concerned. The Met Police will provide a further update in due course.” LBC 16th January 2024 |
| Top law enforcement chief is sacked for sending ‘secret’ data using her personal email address A disciplinary panel found two instances of gross misconduct connected to Ms Holland’s use of a private email. Misconduct was also found in two cases where WhatsApp was used to send sensitive NCA material. Nikki Holland was responsible for specialist investigations at the National Crime Agency (NCA), tackling people smuggling and child abuse. Daily Mail 15th January 2024 |
| Complaint lodged against new Police Scotland chief The most senior civilian member of the executive team at Police Scotland has lodged a grievance against the force’s new Chief Constable Jo Farrell. David Page is the deputy chief officer at Police Scotland, with responsibility for corporate support. BBC News 12th January 2024 |
| Police officer forced to strip down to her underwear wins £800,000 in discrimination case The West Midlands Police Officer was told “just because you have t*ts does not mean you cannot do a press-up” as an officer pushed down on her neck with their foot. West Midlands Police have confirmed three serving firearms officers are currently suspended and 10 are in the disciplinary process. The Telegraph 11th January 2024 |
| Met officers who arrested violent football fan praised by judge District Judge Mr Brennan said: “Thank you for your actions on the day, so many officers would allow behaviour like this to continue and not properly challenge fans. You and your colleagues composure whilst dealing with Mr Prior was commendable as he was particularly violent throughout.” Met Police 10th January 2024 |
| Police officer at centre of ‘lesbian nana’ row after arrest of girl, 16, is cleared of misconduct over pepper spray incident A shocking clip widely shared online showed a short, blonde-haired female West Yorkshire Police officer spray several people during a disturbance on a housing estate in the city. Critics branded her ‘out of control’ as she repeatedly shouted ‘get back’ at the crowd while standing alongside numerous other colleagues. Daily Mail 9th January 2024 |
| Met police officer charged with two counts of rape and suspended PC Andrej Sagaidak, a serving Metropolitan police officer has been charged with two counts of rape, one count of non-fatal strangulation, one count of causing actual bodily harm and suspended from duty. The Guardian 8th January 2024 |
| Head of Britain’s police chiefs says force ‘institutionally racist’ The leader of Britain’s police chiefs’ organisation has become the most senior serving leader to say that policing is institutionally racist, as he called for a fundamental redesign of national policies and practices to eliminate discrimination. The Guardian 5th January 2024 |
| Johnson condemns Met Police investigation into Israel ‘war crimes’ Mr Johnson told The Telegraph on Wednesday he was concerned about “the worrying politicisation of the Met Police”. The Telegraph 4th January 2024 |
| Met Police’s wall of shame More than 100 officers have been sacked by the Met Police as it seeks to root out dodgy cops and predators from within its rank, as part of a sweeping crackdown on standards, which top brass hopes will boost public confidence. Daily Mail 1st January 2024 |
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