100 disgraced Met Police officers cannot be trusted to speak to public – but scandal-hit force unable to sack them
THE scandal-hit Met Police has 100 officers who cannot be trusted to speak to the public — but cannot be sacked either.
Sir Mark Rowley, boss of the London force, described the situation as “completely mad”.
Overall, one in ten officers — around 3,000 — are not available for full duties because of misconduct cases or ill health. Around 500 of them are suspended or on restricted duties.
But he said he lacks the power to get rid of them.
Sir Mark demanded a change in misconduct rules on sacking officers.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I have about 100 officers in the organisation who have very restrictive conditions on them because, frankly, we don’t trust them to talk to members of the public.
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“It’s completely mad that I have to employ people like that as police officers who you can’t trust to have contact with the public. It’s ridiculous.”
He added it was “perverse” that he was unable to dismiss them.
But he stressed many of the unavailable cops had “legitimate” health reasons.
Met Police Federation branch chairman Ken Marsh said: “The bigger picture includes long NHS waits, outsourced telephone occupational health all coupled with a toxic long hours, low support culture.’’