Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid

THE sickening, racist, homophobic, misogynistic and at times idiotic mentality of Charing Cross police officers, exposed in a bombshell investigation, is widespread and “in no way isolated to a few bad apples”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct probe has revealed a chaotic culture of West End cops that went beyond the realms of “laddish banter” into “highly-sexualised messaging” that promoted controlling relationships, rape and violence against women.

Muslims were described as “fanatics” while Somalis were called “rats” by officers who boasted about “battering one the other day”.

Officers bragged about sex in the police station, getting pumped-up on steroids and about attending a festival dressed as known sex offenders and a molested child. Those that challenged behaviour were labelled “grasses” or “weary females” and isolated in a theoretical “grey zone” while they were demeaned with threats to have their hair cut and “beckoned with a bell”.

There were nine linked inquiries. A total of 14 officers were investigated, and most worked for teams that responded to public disorder, theft, touting, drug dealing and violence in the West End.

A series of recommendations have been made and officers have been struck off for gross misconduct while the unit at the centre of the scandal has been disbanded.

But the IOPC said more was needed to be done by the Metropolitan Police Service to get public support back, following the Black Lives Matter protests and the Sarah Everard abduction and murder by a serving officer. “The MPS should commit publicly to being anti-racist,” the report said.

Findings included:

• Numerous messages about rape and “raping” each other in a group of 17 officers.

• Several homophobic comments “f*** you bender” and “laddish” threats to rape and kill.

• Several racist messages including “just walked past the big mosque where all the fanatics turn up to radicalise the young muslims …” and “some uniform or plain clothes work on Somalian rats… I battered one the other day…”.

• Misogynist conversations in group chats that included: “My bird won’t stop taking the piss. Swear to got [sic] I’m going to smack her”.

One of the most distressing messages is a WhatsApp conversation about how best to control a girlfriend by using force. In this discussion one Charing Cross officer wrote: “It makes them love you more. Seriously since I did that she won’t leave me alone. Knock a bird about and she will love you. Human nature. They are biologically programmed to like that shit.”

Another said: “Getting a woman into bed is like spreading butter. It can be done with a bit of effort using a credit card, but it’s quicker and easier just to use a knife.”

On the potential for investigation, messages included “There’s a few of those grassing c***s I would like to knife”, “grassing is dirty” and “I’ve made it the no grassing no shit of anyone team… it’s my f**king baby”.

Before the unit was disbanded police desperately tried to cover up their gross misconduct from investigating officers, the IOPC said.

A macho bullying culture of toxic masculinity, misogyny and harassment and other troubling behaviour went “unchecked” for years, according to Sal Naseem, IOPC regional director.

He said: “We are now making 15 recommendations for the MPS to change policing practice after our Operation Hotton investigations found evidence of discrimination, misogyny, harassment and bullying involving officers predominantly based at Charing Cross police station.

“Although the matters we investigated occurred three years ago, we know through our independent investigations, the communities we engage with, and concerns raised by officers and the wider public, that these were not isolated incidents.

“We are grateful to those officers who were brave enough to speak to us about their experiences, realising that in doing so they risked further bullying.

The IOPC report said: “The team at Charing Cross where we identified these problems has now been disbanded, yet we have seen evidence of this behaviour in subsequent investigations. We believe these incidents are not isolated or simply the behaviour of a few ‘bad apples’.

“The MPS described the Charing Cross police behaviour as “reprehensible” saying that since 2017 measures have been taken to hold those responsible to account “and stamp out unacceptable behaviour”.

While some officers were sacked for gross misconduct, at least six remain still serving, having attended formal meetings and been “subjected to reflective practice to improve their performance”.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid, said: “I am angry and disappointed to see officers involved in sharing sexist, racist and discriminatory messages.

“It’s clear we have a lot of work to do to ensure bullying and discrimination does not exist in any part of the Met. The actions of these officers between 2016 and 2018 were unacceptable, unprofessional, disrespectful and deeply offensive. I read their messages with increasing disgust and shame.

“We haven’t waited for the IOPC’s report to take action; a number of officers have been subject to misconduct proceedings, including one officer dismissed and one who would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.

“Every Met employee has also been spoken to about responsible use of social media.

“We recognise that there is need for real change in the Met and we are committed to creating an environment that is even more intolerant to those who do not uphold the high values and standards expected of us.”