Displaying items by tag: Metropolitan police

The Metropolitan Police is ‘assessing’ a report of hate speech made against MP Lee Anderson after comments which he made on 23 February. The force said it had received the report after the MP claimed ‘Islamists’ had ‘got control’ of London mayor Sadiq Khan, and he had ‘given away our capital’ to extremists. The Ashfield MP refused to apologise, and was suspended from the Tory party the next day. The prime minister's official spokesman said the language used was ‘wrong’, but added that Rishi Sunak did not believe Mr Anderson was racist. Mr Khan has urged the prime minister to call the remarks racist and Islamophobic. Mr Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman who is now sitting in the House of Commons as an independent, has continued to refuse to apologise and said Mr Sunak made a ‘mistake’ in suspending him. Some of his Conservative colleagues, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have expressed agreement with his viewpoint.

An armed Metropolitan Police officer, identified as NX121, has been charged with the murder of black rapper Chris Kaba in south London. Kaba, a 24-year-old expectant father, was fatally shot by a police marksman during a vehicle stop on 5 September 2022. Armed officers had been covertly following the vehicle, flagged by Automatic Number Plate Recognition as connected to a firearms incident. After the shooting, no firearms were found in the vehicle. The officer was initially placed on restricted duties but later suspended. The decision to charge the officer followed a six-month investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). NX121 is set to appear in Westminster magistrates’ court. Kaba's family welcomed the charging decision, expressing hope that justice would be served. The police federation expressed concern about future implications for officers involved in dangerous roles. This case echoes past instances where armed Met officers faced murder charges over fatal shootings while on duty.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a number of events at Downing Street and Whitehall for potential breaches of Covid restrictions after receiving information from the Cabinet Office inquiry team and Commissioner Cressida Dick. Boris Johnson says he welcomes this investigation, saying it will bring clarity on the issue. A No 10 spokesman says the PM does not believe he has broken any laws. The Met will also investigate alleged threats that would ‘seem to constitute blackmail’. MP Christian Wakeford said ministers had previously threatened to withdraw funding for a new secondary school in his constituency if he voted against the Government. Twelve Tory MPs have similar allegations of whips threatening to withdraw funding for infrastructure or schools. This has happened much more over the past ten years, and it was suggested there had been ‘a steady erosion of standards in the way funding is allocated’. See

The arrest and subsequent release of street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi in Enfield on 23 February (see) prompted outrage on social media, and prompted questions in parliament. Theresa Villiers MP asked the Home Office what guidance is provided to the police on street preachers, what lessons have been learned from this incident, and what steps are being taken to ensure that church groups can preach on the street. The Government replied that freedom of expression is a vital part of a democratic society, and it is a long-standing tradition that people are free to share their views with others. On 21 March Christian Concern reported that London mayor Sadiq Khan is to face questions over the incident, especially since the the police have changed their story on Olu's 'de-arrest'. See

Allegations of ‘serious corruption and malpractice’ within the Metropolitan Police are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Gross misconduct notices were served on three officers, one of whom is also under criminal investigation, and ‘a number’ of others are being assessed. Investigations are at an early stage and may involve as many as 14 officers, including senior officers who interfered with or curtailed investigations and failed to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. There is also alleged systemic removal of the restrictions of officers under investigation and racial discrimination. According to the Sunday Times, three whistleblowers from the Met told the IOPC that members of the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) were shielding officers from a range of allegations. Files have been shredded in the past when allegations of corruption were made, making it hard to prove there was sleaze, bribery or fraud.

Serious crime soared in London in the past year, police figures have revealed, with the murder rate up by 44% and youth murder, personal robbery and home burglary all up by about a third. The figures, from the Metropolitan police, also showed a 23% increase in gun crime, a 21% rise in knife crime, and an 18% increase in the number of rapes. They were released just before a meeting of the London assembly’s police and crime committee on 15 May. Its chairman, Steve O’Connell, called the rise ‘unacceptable’ and ‘deeply troubling’. So far in 2018 the Met has launched more than sixty murder investigations, and the increase in violent crime has been reflected in many other urban areas. Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, defended her office’s record. ‘It’s very, very early days’, she said. ‘We’re talking about knife crime with injury and we’re seeing that stabilising. But every murder is so appalling on the streets of London that there is no complacency here whatsoever.’