- London's Metropolitan Police was under fire Friday after 10 cases involving alleged racism by police officers were referred to the independent police watchdog for investigation.
Eight officers and a
staff member have been suspended while allegations that they used racist
language are reviewed, the Metropolitan Police said.
The 10 cases involve about 20 police officers and one staff member, a police spokesman said.
Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey said Thursday that the force, known as the Met, was taking the matter very seriously.
"I want to reiterate -- there is no room for racism in the Met," he said.
Seven cases involving
alleged racism were referred to the Independent Police Complaints
Commission (IPCC) Thursday, he said, in addition to three that are under
review.
The record of the Metropolitan Police has been tarnished by claims of racism in the past.
A government inquiry
ordered in the wake of a bungled investigation into the murder of a
black teenager nearly 20 years ago labeled the Metropolitan Police force
"institutionally racist" and a raft of recommendations were made to
stamp out the issue.
The new allegations
follow the release by the Guardian newspaper last week of mobile phone
footage that appeared to show a police officer directing racist remarks
at a young black man arrested after the riots in London last summer.
The complaints commission said three of the cases under investigation involve officers in Newham, east London.
One case concerns racist
comments alleged to have been made within a group of officers between
January and March this year, the commission said.
The three officers involved have been suspended, the watchdog said.
Other investigations in
Newham involve a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly assaulted by an
officer and an allegation that a 21-year-old man was the victim of
racist remarks and assault by Met officers, the commission said.
Prosecutors initially
decided not to take action against three officers accused of misconduct
in the second of those cases but that decision is now under review, the
complaints commission said.
IPCC commissioner Mike
Franklin said many members of the public would be concerned that Newham
officers were accused in more than one case.
"Undoubtedly, these are
very serious allegations and I would like to reassure the Newham
community and wider public, that we are conducting a full, thorough and
independent investigation to establish the facts behind these
allegations," he said.
Mackey said the vast
majority of the force's 50,000 or so staff, including 32,000 officers,
"act with the professionalism and high standards we expect," and that
unacceptable behavior would be challenged.
"Whilst any use of
racist language is abhorrent, what is reassuring for me is that in the
10 cases that have been referred to the IPCC, six involve other officers
who have stood up and raised concerns, showing that we are an
organization that will not stand for any racist behavior," he said.
"The Met does not tolerate racism."
The National Black
Police Association said last week that the decision by prosecutors not
to act on the claims of assault and racist remarks against three
officers highlighted the issue of racism and the criminal justice
system.
The association is
"deeply concerned that this issue undermines efforts to build and
maintain trust and confidence of communities grappling with the impact
of serious violent crime and escalating hate crimes," it said in a
statement.
http://edition.cnn.com/
