Met Police commander pays tribute to abuse victims
Once again I want to pay tribute to those who have spoken out and bravely shared their experiences of sexual assault.
As a result of their collective efforts we have a great opportunity to learn from the past, develop our understanding of sexual exploitation and improve our safeguarding procedures.
Our response should send a clear warning to anyone today now in a position of power and influence who abuse their status to sexually exploit children and young people - victims will be listened to and robust action taken."
– Commander Peter Spindler, Head of Specialist Crime Investigations
It has emerged that a Met officer faces the sack for gross misconduct after he was convicted of launching a foul-mouthed tirade at an Asian takeaway manager.
Pc Philip Juhasz, 31, hurled abuse at Pakistani Umer Nazir, 23, at the Delice de France snack kiosk at King's Cross railway station last September. The shop manager said the off-duty officer had demanded to be sold food that was about to be thrown away for half price.
He told the Daily Mail that after he refused to comply, he was met with a racist outburst. Juhasz was convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates' Court on March 23, police said.
Scotland Yard said it could not comment on the report by Brain Paddick in 2004, due to its age and added:
The Metropolitan police service has a history of welcoming internal and external discussion papers on stop and search, from academics, research bodies and serving officers, in order to inform the debate on stop and search.
In consequence, the MPS is constantly adapting and evolving its stop-and-search policies
A dossier, compiled by former Met commander Brian Paddick in 2004, warned police chiefs that they needed to take tougher action to stop officers discriminating against black people.
The report, obtained by the Guardian, said that innocent African-Caribbean people were being targeted too often under stop and search powers by officers who were wrongly racially stereotyping them as criminals.
Referring to the murder of Stephen Lawrence in an open letter to Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, Dr Richard Stone, a former member of the Lawrence inquiry panel said:
Here we are 14 years later with the worst kind of blatant and violent racism by police. Even worse is that the officers appear to be doing it openly in front of colleagues from whom they have no fear of being reported.
Such a group of constables could not be routinely racist like this without their seniors being aware, and telling them to stop. I fear this may alas be more than 'just a few bad apples'
120 Met Police officers 'guilty of racist behaviour' since 1999
Some 120 Metropolitan Police officers have reportedly been found guilty of racist behaviour since the Macpherson report prompted by the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
In reply to a Freedom of Information request by Channel 4 News, Scotland Yard said that between 1999 and 2011, 120 of its police officers "had allegations of misconduct, under the category 'discriminatory behaviour' with the sub-category 'race', substantiated against them".
Shadow home secretary: 'Police must ensure zero tolerance of racism'
Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary and minister for women & equalities, said:
These allegations must be taken extremely seriously by the Metropolitan Police Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the IPCC.
The police must ensure there is zero tolerance of racism in their ranks, and must act fast to deal with any suggestion of racism that arises. It is vital for justice that everyone from every community can be confident in the impartiality of the police and their ability to enforce the law fairly.
The MPS worked hard to change after the Macpherson inquiry, but the number of these claims now is a very serious concern.
Newham MP: 'worrying figures' over police race allegations
Three officers based in Newham were suspended yesterday after allegations they used racist language. MP for Newham Stephen Timms says the police cannot afford to tolerate any sort of racist behaviour.
