Metropolitan Police officers were filmed urging violence against immigrants, mocking rape claims, and making anti-Muslim and misogynist remarks, sparking outrage.
Seven months of undercover recording at the Charing Cross police station preceded the BBC Panorama show.
As images of policemen appeared on national television, Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of police for the Metropolitan area, responded by acknowledging that his force had a "toxic legacy" of racism that had "put down deep roots."
An officer was seen on camera seemingly dismissing a woman's complaint of rape and a guy stamping on her tummy during pregnancy before releasing the defendant on bond.
Other officers called immigrants and Muslims "scum," and one even threatened to use extreme violence against them.
"Any foreign person is the worst to deal with,"
he stated.
Later he says of an alleged overstayer:
“Either put a bullet through his head or deport him.”
On audio, additional officers are heard discussing stamping on suspects, hurting noncompliant individuals, and repeatedly elbowing a suspect in leg restraints in the face. One sergeant also made numerous sexualized comments, including regarding masturbating.
Additionally, officers were seen on camera talking about avoiding admissions in front of police cameras in their station, which are supposed to identify and discourage misconduct, and fabricating a statement after using force.
The Met's top brass, City Hall, and the federal government all fear if not expect that the revelations would undermine public trust in the force and call into question assertions that it is undergoing significant enough transformation following years of scandal and damning reports.
When Matt Jukes, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department, refused to acknowledge that Britain's largest force was institutionally racist at the National Black Police Association (NBPA) conference, officers jeered and booed him, demonstrating the tensions.
Louise Casey's 2023 report, which was ordered by the Met following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, revealed that the Met had institutionalized racism, misogyny, and prejudice.
Rowley, who was appointed commissioner of the Met in 2022, said he acknowledged the report's conclusions of widespread toxicity and failures, but he immediately rejected those terms.
Lady Casey requested a much-delayed follow-up investigation into the Met to see how far the Met had improved, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised to disclose it.
As the Met was thrown into difficulty by the alleged activities of its own officers, Jukes was hurried to attend the conference of black officers on Wednesday, telling the audience that the behaviors were "a matter of profound shame and regret."
Jukes, a clear favorite to become the next commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department, warned of "gangsterish behaviours" among officers, including "coercing" others to do the same and covering up misconduct.
Rowley expressed regret and promised to go "further into the corrupt networks and cliques our actions have driven underground" after the BBC program revealed "appalling and criminal" behavior.
The Met claims that since Rowley assumed leadership in September 2022, 1,500 police have been fired for failing to meet expectations.
Rowley said:
“The behaviour depicted in this programme is reprehensible and completely unacceptable.
Officers behaving in such appalling, criminal ways let down our communities and will cause some to question if their sons and daughters are safe in our cells, and whether they would be believed and respected as victims of crime. For that, I am truly sorry.”
What official investigations have been launched into these recordingsThe Metropolitan Police Service has launched several internal investigations into the officers who took part in the leaked recordings, and while these investigations are ongoing, some officers have been placed on suspension.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is the independent oversight body for policing in England and Wales, has also initiated formal investigations into allegations of officer misconduct, including advocacy for violence, excessive use of force, and comments which discriminated against social groups.
Internal investigations are examining the conduct captured in the recordings as well as the overall culture within particular teams of officers to identify systemic failings.
The Mayor of London and senior leadership of the Met have publicly condemned the unacceptable behavior and offered full assistance with the investigations, reaffirming a commitment to eradicating racism, misogyny, and harassment from the police service.