Watchdog probes Met’s police standards unit
THE police watchdog is investigating allegations of “serious corruption and malpractice” in Scotland Yard’s own standards unit, a director has said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is probing claims that “potentially conflicted” senior officers in the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) interfered with or curtailed investigations or failed to look at alleged wrongdoing altogether.
Jonathan Green, IOPC London director, said the watchdog was also investigating claims of racial discrimination in the DPS, which is tasked with tackling misconduct and corruption.
Gross misconduct notices have been served on three officers, one of whom is also under criminal investigation, while “a number of officers” are also being assessed.
Scotland Yard said it was “fully cooperating” with the IOPC’s investigation into allegations against “a number of Metropolitan Police Service personnel”.
Mr Green told the Press Association: “We have begun an investigation into allegations of serious corruption and malpractice within the Directorate of Professional Standards of the Metropolitan Police. The investigation includes alleged interference in, and curtailment of, investigations by potentially conflicted senior officers, failure to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, systemic removal of the restrictions of officers under investigation and racial discrimination.
“Assessments on the status of... other officers remains ongoing.”
According to The Sunday Times, three whistleblowers from the force approached the IOPC to allege members of the DPS were shielding officers from a range of allegations.