London police force placed in 'special measures' by watchdog

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said in a statement on Tuesday that the Met was being monitored through its 'Engage' process. The process "provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements," the watchdog said.

London's Metropolitan Police Service has been told to come up with an improvement plan and will be subject to extra scrutiny from a police watchdog after criticism over its handling of a string of high profile cases. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said in a statement on Tuesday that the Met was being monitored through its 'Engage' process.

The process "provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements," the watchdog said. Their statement did not detail what had triggered the move. The Met did not immediately comment.

"A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed deep cultural problems but have damaged the confidence of Londoners in the capital's police service," the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement. "The decision by the HMIC to now move the Met into special measures has laid bare the substantial performance failings by the force."

The force was shaken last year by the abduction, rape and murder of a woman, Sarah Everard, by one of its officers. Its policing of a vigil for the victim was later found to be unlawful by a London court and it has been beset by revelations of a culture of bullying, racial discrimination and misogyny. In February, London police chief Cressida Dick resigned after Khan told her he was not satisfied she could root out the problems that existed within the force.

Her successor has not yet been appointed. The watchdog's website sets out that the 'engage' process is used when a force is not responding to a cause of concern, or is not successful in addressing it.

"Forces will develop an improvement plan to address the specific cause(s) of concern that has caused them to be placed in the advanced phase of the monitoring process," the website said.

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