“Baroness Louise Casey’s 363-page report shines a forensic light on the workings of the Met and the racist, sexist, and homophobic abuses of power that have taken place in its ranks over many years.
“We have seen this play itself out in a long list of incidents, including the murder of Sarah Everard and the local experience of the loss of four young men - Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor in Barking between 2014 and 2015.
“Casey’s report is a depressing reminder of the missed opportunities over nearly a quarter of a century to the Macpherson report of 1999 when institutional racism was at the heart of the Met’s failure to investigate the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
“Her report also reflects the influences which have shaped today’s policing including here in Barking & Dagenham.
“The impact of austerity on police numbers over the last decade has diminished neighbourhood policing which is the foundation of the Met’s relationship with the community.
“We have concerns that the Borough Command Unit (BCU) model has papered over the cracks and has become part of what Casey calls, the shrinking ‘blue line’.
“The police response to murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor can be seen within the context of dwindling police resources, a point that was made by the Coroner, Sarah Munroe KC, who presided over the Inquest into their deaths in Barking Town Hall in December 2021.
“We believe the policing of these murders was institutionally homophobic and blind to the LGBTQ+ community, reflecting a culture out of touch with modern Londoners and our changed borough.
“It is not just a few bad apples. Denying this is what got us here in the first place.
“As a local authority, we work closely with the borough commander and his team, and we also support Baroness Casey’s appreciation of the bravery and courage many of our police officers show every day, including their readiness to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
“That is why it is vital that those who run the Met and the government who fund it, now grasp the nettle, listen, and learn and build the trust that is essential between the police and all our communities.”