(Bloomberg) —
London’s Metropolitan Police Service is not taking the risks of corruption seriously enough and has been slow to learn from previous mistakes, an investigation by the force’s watchdog found.
More than 100 people who had committed offenses — including theft, handling stolen goods and wounding — were allowed to join the country’s largest police force over a period of two years, according to Tuesday’s report.
In a finding that echoes TV series Line of Duty, some recruits were closely connected to known criminals, it said.
“After their recruitment, the force failed to introduce sufficient measures — such as monitoring and closer supervision — to lessen the risks they posed,” the Police Inspectorate’s report said.
The probe adds to a chorus of complaints about the Met, which has faced sustained criticism in recent years for its handling of everything from race to murders. In February, the Met’s chief, Cressida Dick, resigned after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan lost confidence in her leadership.
The inspection was part of a review into the murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator who was murdered in London in 1987. The investigation of his death was hampered by police corruption, the report said.
Hundred of items held by police, including, drugs, cash and jewelery, could not be accounted for and firearms had not been properly stored, the watchdog said. Record keeping is in same cases “woeful.”
More than 2,000 warrant cards, proof of identification used by officers, are unaccounted for since the people left the Met.
“This represents a significant operational security risk to the force,” according to the report. Wayne Couzens, the then serving police officer, used his warrant card to lure Sarah Everard off the street before killing her last year.
The force is also one of a tiny number that can’t proactively monitor its own computer systems, the report said.
However, the report did praise the Met for its capability to investigate the most serious corruption allegations, confidential reporting line and dedicated team for whistle-blowers.
“We are deeply concerned at the criticisms in the report on our approach to countering corruption and are urgently reviewing our systems and processes,” the Met said in a statement. “We have already put more than 100 extra officers into our professional standards department.”
A separate probe found earlier this year that officers had engaged in racism, misogyny and harassment.
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