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This page contains press release 69/03, in which the MPA announces that it has approved a wide-ranging independent inquiry into the handling of Metropolitan Police internal investigations.

Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).

See the MOPC website for further information.

Metropolitan Police Authority approves wide-ranging independent inquiry into handling of Metropolitan Police internal investigations

69/03
25 September 2003

The Metropolitan Police Authority has given the go ahead for a far-reaching independent inquiry into the handling of internal investigations and grievances within the Metropolitan Police Service.

At its meeting today, members endorsed last week's call by MPA Chair Toby Harris for an inquiry into the way the Metropolitan Police Service investigates complaints and grievances involving staff, following a number of recent high-profile cases.

Toby Harris said:

"We have decided upon this comprehensive look into the inner workings of the MPS because of our concerns about the perceptions held of racial discrimination and unfairness in the way some of its investigations are conducted.

"We also have questions about the scale of investigations against police in general, believing them sometimes to be out of proportion with the gravity of the matters complained of.

"The Authority strongly supports the Commissioner's philosophy that integrity is non-negotiable in the police service, and his determination to tackle corruption and impropriety by police officers wherever and whenever it occurs.

"But it is also essential to address these present concerns through a credible and transparent process to prevent irrevocable damage to the Metropolitan Police Service's reputation, especially among London's minority ethnic communities."

Notes to editors

  1. Terms of reference will be set by the MPA's Coordination and Policing Committee at its meeting on 3 October.
  2. The inquiry will hold some public sessions and its report and recommendations will be published.
  3. The inquiry will be conducted by an independent chairperson, supported by a small panel of advisers with professional expertise of policing, as well as an understanding of the need to increase community confidence.
  4. A time frame will be decided once the inquiry panel has been appointed.

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