Met accepts IOPC recommendations after Operation Hotton investigation uncovers bullying and harassment

7 Apr 2022 01:09 PM

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has welcomed the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) acceptance of 15 recommendations designed to tackle underlying cultural issues after Operation Hotton revealed bullying and discrimination within the ranks.

The MPS has agreed to publicly commit to a position of zero-tolerance on racism, misogyny, bullying and harassment, as well as making a public commitment to being an anti-racist organisation.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem described the MPS response as an important step towards recovering public trust and confidence.

Inappropriate behaviour by officers, including, racism, misogyny, harassment and the exchange of offensive social media messages, was highlighted in the IOPC’s Operation Hotton learning report, published in February.

It followed nine linked investigations focused on teams formed to tackle crime and disorder in the Westminster area.

Our recommendations were designed to prevent environments from developing in which unprofessional and inappropriate behaviour could thrive and go unchallenged.

The MPS response highlights existing work addressing issues we identified and the new measures it will take to act on our recommendations.

The MPS’ full response can be found alongside the IOPC’s recommendations here.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem yesterday said:

“We welcome the Met’s full acceptance of our recommendations and the programme of work it has announced to create a better working environment and improve the service for the communities it serves in London. In particular, we are pleased that the MPS has agreed to embed a zero-tolerance position on racism, misogyny, bullying and harassment within its policies and training, and will adopt that terminology.

“We felt this was vital to make it clear to all officers and staff that this behaviour will not be tolerated in any form. For the Met we believe it is an important step on the road to rebuilding public trust and confidence in the force, which is critical to maintaining the principle of policing by consent.”