Agenda item

Non Cabinet Members' Debate

To enable Non Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive reports from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

Decision:

The following motion was unanimously AGREED as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“Casey Review – Metropolitan Police

This Council notes:

§ The damning findings of the March 2023 Casey Review, which showed a persistent and endemic culture of racism, misogyny, homophobia and violence against women within London’s Metropolitan Police force.

§ The recent BBC investigation that found that the Metropolitan Police seriously mishandled key inquiries related to a major suspect in the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

§ That whilst the Casey Review and the recent revelations about the Stephen Lawrence investigation are shocking, it will not be surprising to many in our communities across Brent who have been failed by the Metropolitan Police. Rather, these findings have further exposed an institution that has been known for systemic failures since before the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

§ The persistent failure of leadership at all levels of the Metropolitan Police to act decisively and remove dangerous officers from their posts, despite multiple reports showing their propensity for serious harm prior to the violence and destruction they subsequently caused to dozens of lives.

§ That the murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, the dehumanising treatment of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, the Stephen Port murders, and the 48 rape offenses committed by David Carrick might have been prevented if swift and effective action had been taken at the time.

This Council also notes:

§ That crime disproportionately impacts members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, those on the lowest incomes and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and that tackling crime across the borough means it is integral that these communities have trust and faith in the police that serve them.

§ Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people, official figures for England and Wales show.

§ As highlighted by Baroness Casey, it is not enough for the Metropolitan Police to “reflect” on what needs to change, but that it needs a complete overhaul in order to take firm and decisive action against racism, misogyny and homophobia.

§ The work of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, which has highlighted the reluctance of the Metropolitan Police so far to make any significant change.

§ Whilst this council recognises the heroic work done by many police officers, including our own neighbourhood officers here in Brent, there is clearly unfinished business in the police force if there is to be an end to the culture that enabled these horrifying injustices to take place.

This Council further notes:

§ Brent Council's efforts to address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) through the following initiatives:

o The establishment of a VAWG Scrutiny Task Group in 2020 which provided a set of recommendations on how best to utilise Council resources to help combat VAWG. These recommendations are currently being implemented and its progress regularly reviewed to ensure this issue remains a high priority for the Council.

o Increased resources to VAWG organisations across the borough, as well as increased MARAC service provision to meet the demands from the knock-on effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.

o Workshops conducted with local businesses across Brent to ensure that training is provided to the night-time economy (local pubs, bars, restaurants, etc.) around supporting vulnerable women and safeguarding is offered more widely to local businesses.

o A series of public awareness campaigns demonstrating solidarity against VAWG.

§ The Council's investment in approaches to address perpetrators, provide trauma support to victims of crime; and investment in early intervention and prevention of community violence and harm – it is local government across London that has the approaches and best practice that is of value to the Metropolitan Police in its transformation.

§ The positive introduction of LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers (CLO) for the North West Borough Command Unit (covering Brent, Barnet and Harrow boroughs) to improve relationships and trust between the LGBTQ+ Community and the Police.

§ The Cabinet Member for Community Safety meets with the Metropolitan Police Commander for North West BCU (covering Brent, Harrow and Barnet) once a month to discuss urgent police matters affecting Brent residents and to ensure the interests of our communities in Brent are taken into account by the local police.

This Council therefore resolves:

(1) That the Cabinet Member for Safer Communities & Public Protection should write to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to confirm Brent Council’s support of the Casey Review, requesting that the Metropolitan Police make concrete efforts to rebuild the trust lost by adopting and implementing without delay, all 16 recommendations of the Casey Review.

This includes:

o Adopting a new, independent, multidisciplinary team of police officers and staff who will reform how the Metropolitan Police deals with misconduct cases, with a particular focus on how it handles sexual misconduct, domestic abuse and discrimination.

o Overhauling the recruitment and vetting system to ensure that new recruits are not drawn to the job for the wrong reasons; and revoking special qualifications where officers’ standards fall short of public expectations.

o Providing the Police Commissioner new powers that ensure that they can take strong and decisive action when the sanctions and consequences for misconduct are inadequate.

o A dedicated Women’s Protection Service with specialist units who focus on rape and serious and sexual offences and the creation of a children's strategy to focus resources on safeguarding and child protection.

(2) To call upon the Metropolitan Police to build an improved borough-based approach that will rebuild trust in policing across communities by investing in frontline policing - including safer communities and public protection - and ensuring victims of crimes such as domestic violence and sexual assault have appropriate, compassionate, and effective support and resources.

(3) To call upon the Metropolitan Police to commit to an overhaul of stop and search powers and accountability for the use of force in our communities.

(4) To call upon the Metropolitan Police to further their partnership working with London local government as part of boosting local accountability and scrutiny of police powers, including working closely with those communities most impacted by police activity and communities and individuals subject to the disproportionality highlighted in the Casey report.”

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-Cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being the Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Dixon to introduce the motion. As context for the debate, Councillor Dixon began by referencing the Sarah Everard case and expressing concern that the subsequent review undertaken by Baroness Casey had been driven through the concerns highlighted by women and other groups rather than an internal desire for change within the Metropolitan Police. Whilst it was felt that the Metropolitan Police could change and rebuild trust, Councillor Dixon highlighted that for many communities this would involve a long and complex process given the loss in faith of policing by consent and need for the Metropolitan Police to open itself up to scrutiny as a result of the damning findings in the Casey Review, which had shown a persistent and endemic culture of racism, misogyny, homophobia and violence against women. In pointing to the findings of institutionalised racism, lack of leadership and professional incompetence detailed in the Macpherson Report which had followed the death of Stephen Lawrence, Councillor Dixon stated that the findings of the Casey Review were again shocking with a critical need for fundamental change identified in order to rectify the elitism within the Police, the abuses of frontline officers, and the misogyny and racism embedded in the force. In commending and valuing the model of local neighbourhood policing as an essential way forward, Councillor Dixon praised the work of the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams which she was keen to see properly resourced. Highlighting the increasing democratic deficit between the Metropolitan Police and communities they served, Councillor Dixon hoped all members would support the motion in seeking to add their voice and back the call for the recommendations within the Casey Review to be implemented as soon as possible. including the provision of more powers to the Commissioner to tackle the issues identified, addressing issues in terms of recruitment and police numbers and the establishment of new teams to deal with rape and domestic abuse with the disbanding of teams where it was clear deep rooted issues had taken hold. In highlighting the need for action, it was felt the measures identified were essential in seeking to address the lost of trust in the Metropolitan Police as well as in ensuring the safety of victims.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Dixon for introducing the motion and then opened up the debate for contributions from other members.

In supporting the motion, Councillor Johnson stressed that a city as diverse as London required a police service that reflected the communities it served, with everyone needing to feel fairly treated irrespective of their characteristics. In highlighting the major mishandling of key inquiries relating to the Stephen Lawrence investigation, the tragic case of Sarah Everard and the recent behaviour of the Metropolitan Police at Charing Cross Police Station Councillor Johnson was concerned it appeared the Metropolitan Police had not learned from previous mistakes, which in turn had led to an erosion of trust that would be difficult to regain. In supporting the call for an overhaul of the Metropolitan Police in order to take firm action against racism, misogyny and homophobia, Councillor Johnson endorsed the motion.

Whilst welcoming the Casey Review and supporting the motion, Councillor Kansagra, as Leader of the Conservative Group, felt there was a need to not only focus on the actions of the Metropolitan Police as a whole service but also on the individual behaviours of those individuals found to be at fault. Referring to the approach taken within other public services such as healthcare where the focus was on individuals rather than the institution as a whole in cases of wrongdoing or abuse, Councillor Kansagra felt it was reasonable for the same approach to be applied with the police as it was believed that a small number of malicious officers did not mean the institution as a whole was bad. Whilst supporting the need for reform Councillor Kansagra felt there was also a need to recognise the level of good officers also serving within the force.

In expressing the Liberal Democrats Group support for the Casey Review and its recommendations, Councillor Georgiou, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group, outlined how he felt the Metropolitan Police had failed Londoners, particularly women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community, with widespread misogyny, racism and homophobia demonstrating little had changed since the Macpherson Report in 1999 and which had resulted in a decrease in trust that needed to be restored. In highlighting the need for strong leadership to bring the necessary reforms, Councillor Georgiou also took the opportunity to express concerns over the performance of the Mayor of London since taking office and underfunding of the police (particularly in relation to the development of community policing) as a result of government austerity, which he felt had also contributed to the loss of trust between local communities and the Metropolitan police. In concluding, Councillor Georgiou advised that the Liberal Democrat Group would be supporting the motion believing that implementation of the recommendations within the Casey Review would be the first step needed to bring necessary reform.

Councillor Ahmadi Moghaddam, also speaking in support of the motion, felt that the challenge being provided through the Casey Review was a sign of progress and called for the continuation of pressure to end the institutional racism, sexism and abuse of power in policing. In expressing support for a more local led approach to policing as a means of rebuilding trust and addressing the causes of crime, concerns were raised at the impact of the Governments approach in terms of legislation such as the Public Order Bill which it was felt would introduce further restrictions on freedom and divide society impacting on trust and the potential abuse of power by the Metropolitan Police in the way they would be expected to enforce the provisions. As a result, he ended by not only highlighting his support for the Casey Review but also in seeking to stand against the Public Order Bill.

In further support of the motion, Councillor Afzal felt that the need to undertake the Casey Review had in itself showed a failure on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, which he pointed out had been already been found to be institutionally racist. In opposing the words of the Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Afzal highlighted multiple cases demonstrating institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police which he felt it was important not to regard as isolated incidents. In his view the recruitment of additional police officers was not the main issue to be addressed and of more importance was the need to address the systemic issue of institutionalised racism within both the Metropolitan Police force and society in general. On this basis he hoped all members would support the motion.

Councillor Mistry, whilst expressing her support for the motion and recognising the numerous failings of the Metropolitan Police, also felt it important to reflect on the role of the Mayor of London in overseeing the service provided as Police and Crime Commissioner and working in partnership to ensure the recommendations and change identified as required within the Casey Review were fully delivered. Whilst supporting the need to ensure officers found to have abused their power were removed from office and where necessary prosecuted, Councillor Mistry in concluding also felt it important to recognise that not all police officers were bad as evidenced through the work being undertaken locally through the Safer Neighbourhood Teams across the borough.

In also expressing his support for the motion and addressing previous comments made by Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Miller highlighted the difficulty in being able to distinguish between cases of wrong doing within institutions as a whole and the individuals who worked within them pointing out, as an example, the action often taken by regulators in medical and healthcare settings to implement system changes in response to individual cases of misconduct. In responding to criticism of the Mayor of London, Councillor Miller also felt it was important to recognise the strong leadership and action demonstrated by the Mayor in removing the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from office, despite resistance by the Home Secretary at the time and felt the difference in approach between political parties would be become even clearer in the run up to the next London Mayoral election.

Councillor Smith, also in responding to the earlier contribution made by Councillor Kansagra, took the opportunity to highlight her own personal observations of racism experienced at the hands of the Police and to emphasise the importance both historically and within the current social climate of everyone being treated fairly and with respect. In highlighting her support for the motion, Councillor Smith felt that it represented a distorted view to believe that the problems experienced in the Metropolitan Police as an institution were only the fault of a small number of officers.

As a final contribution, Councillor Grahl also speaking in support of the motion thanked Councillor Dixon for bringing the matter forward for consideration and encouraged all members to read the final report from the Casey Review in full. In highlighting longstanding issues with the Metropolitan Police she also took the opportunity to refer to a national inspection of child protection arrangements by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services undertaken in 2016 where inadequate police practices had been identified in a significant proportion of child protection cases. It was felt this demonstrated that the concerns identified were not just focussed on a small number of individual officers but across the Metropolitan Police as an institution. In response to criticism of the Mayor of London Councillor Grahl also supported the view that the stance taken in removing the previous Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police had demonstrated strong leadership and a desire to ensure change was implemented across the service.

As there were no further contributions, the Mayor then invited Councillor Farah, as Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection, to summarise and close the debate.

Councillor Farah began by thanking Councillor Dixon for raising such an important subject for debate recognising the findings of the Casey Review as damning for the Metropolitan Police as an institution. Whilst highlighting his concern that the service had been found to be embroiled in so many systemic failures and mistrust he felt this should not have come as a surprise given the views being expressed by many communities across Brent and London as a whole with the trauma caused as a result of these failures taking time to heal. It was, however, felt that the Casey Review provided an opportunity to deliver the change required at both a cultural and operational level with the work of the neighbourhood police officers in Brent in seeking to make the borough a safer place also recognised. As specific examples of work being led locally by the Council, Councillor Farah outlined the support being provided for organisations involved in tackling violence against women and girls; in seeking to enable the safe operation of the night time economy and support vulnerable women, and the approach towards investing in the rehabilitation of offenders whilst also providing support for the victims of crime. To conclude the debate, Councillor Farah stated that as Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection he was committed to ensuring Brent remained a safe place for all communities and to working with the Police to ensure full implementation of the recommendations from the Casey Review as a means of enhancing local accountability and in seeking to adopt a culture that moving forward would enable trust to be rebuilt in the police.

Having concluded discussions, the motion moved as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate was then put to the vote by the Mayor and unanimously declared CARRIED.

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“Casey Review – Metropolitan Police