Lynne Featherstone

This morning’s meeting of the Met Police Authority (MPA) opened with a discussion on the Secret Policeman programme screened by the BBC. There was much breast beating, and to be fair – the Met and the MPA have been ‘determined’ to stamp out racism in the Met. But they have clearly failed judging by the revelations in the show.

I wasn’t hugely shocked by the programme myself. I have always believed that we are only a breath away from the uncivilised – and that racism runs deep in the Met. But I am hopeful that the voices are sincere and that recruits will be screened more thoroughly and that training and follow-through improves.

However, where I took my leave of the Met’s Sir John Stevens statement that the Met must be exemplar – and more so than any other body – was that whilst I do believe you may be able to screen out the worst of it, I don’t believe you can completely eradicate it.

What I do expect, is that the professional standards expected of our officers overrides any unacceptable underlying views, and that any overt racist behaviour or comment be absolutely unacceptable to any officer of the Met if he or she witnesses it.

A culture of acceptance or collusion must be expelled. It would never be accepted in the teaching profession. It would be reported and the individual sacked – so it should be in the police force.