“We need a police service that protects the vulnerable from the powerful” says Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones, who calls for whistle blowers to be supported by the Met and for them “to promote positive examples of staff who have blown the whistle”.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to investigate 14 referrals detailing allegations of corruption in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in relation to child sex offences dating from the 1970s to the 2000s.
The allegations, referred by the MPS, include:
- Suppressing evidence;
- Hindering or halting investigations;
- Covering up the offences because of the involvement of members of parliament and police officers.
Jenny Jones said: “We need a police service that protects the vulnerable from the powerful. Unfortunately, we often get the reverse.
.svg)
The Met Police Commissioner and Mayor of London need to give their full support for any police officer who blows the whistle on the suppression of evidence by fellow officers, or where they have concerns about investigations being closed down by senior colleagues.
I am concerned that the Met is not able to offer a single positive example in the last 14 years of a whistle blower who feels they were treated fairly and that their career didn’t suffer. Staff within the Met will be well aware of individuals who exposed wrongdoing and felt they were not supported by the organisation. The Mayor should encourage the Met to promote positive examples of staff who have blown the whistle and reassure staff that if they expose wrongdoing they will be supported not persecuted.”