Damning report into the Met calls for London mayor Sadiq Khan to be stripped of control over 'two-tier policing' claims
The report claims "police chose to prioritise the rights and freedoms of protestors over the rights of ordinary people"
Scotland Yard and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have been accused of allowing “two-tier” policing to become “a reality” in England’s capital.
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Right-wing think tank Policy Exchange has said the Metropolitan Police has “prioritised the rights of demonstrators” over the public at large, failing to make arrests, leading the Londoners to believe “the forces of law and order have lost control of the streets and yielded control to a mob.”
The report, titled “A Long, Long Way To Go,” centres on Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley's first three years in office, highlighting a drop in public confidence in the Met despite all-time low violent crime numbers.
According to the report, residents of the capital now believe “there is a culture of impunity to crime in London.”
Read more: Several arrests as farmers defy Met Police tractor ban at Budget day protest
It calls on the Met Police to introduce “special measures” to prevent phone thefts and better control protests across the city.
It also suggests powers should be taken from the London Mayor and handed to the Home Office.
The report points to the force failing to solve the vast majority of thefts, only identifying the culprit in just one in 20 robberies, one in 13 shoplifting offences, and one in 179 muggings.
The report also accuses the Met of doing more to protect Muslim Brits over Jewish communities - pointing to a rally in Tower Hamlets - but providing no evidence for the claim.
It claims: “With the apparently differential treatment of different groups based on either the cause of the protest or the identity of those protesting, it has become increasingly clear that ‘two-tier policing’ is not merely a perception but a reality.
“This inconsistent application of police powers and the law is perhaps one of the most troubling aspects of modern policing – a factor which has seriously damaged policing's reputation for fairness in the eyes of many.
“Such a decision may well have been justified on the grounds of preventing serious public disorder.
“However, the willingness of the police to impose such stringent restrictions to safeguard the local Muslim population, while apparently being unwilling to go similarly far on behalf of the Jewish community or the broader public at previous events, indicates a readiness among senior officers to apply different standards to different groups.
“If the rationale for the force's decision is because they feared public disorder from those resisting the protest it is tantamount to an admission that 'mob-rule' has taken priority over the rule of law – an unacceptable state of affairs.'
The report added: “Too often police choose to prioritise the rights and freedoms of protestors over the rights of ordinary people going about their daily lives', with officers failing to arrest those committing criminal damage or shouting 'jihad' at pro-Palestinian rallies.”
The think tank places the blame for London’s woes firmly at the feet of Sir Sadiq Khan, claiming his decision to reduce stop and search, which has been proven to disproportionately affect people of colour, has had “a catastrophic impact on the fight against crime.”
“There is certainly no indication of the force taking a ‘zero tolerance’ to anything other than the most serious crimes.
“Until this changes the belief that many residents and visitors have, that there is a culture of impunity to crime in London, will continue.”
Responding to the report, Met Commander Hayley Sewart said: “Our New Met for London plan is delivering significant improvements on the issues that matter most to our communities and crime is falling across London.
“Since April, offences like theft, robbery and vehicle crime are down nearly 15 per cent compared to the same period last year and officers are arresting around 1,000 more criminals every month.
“At the same time, knife-enabled crime has reduced by 16 per cent and knife-enabled robbery by more than 23 per cent in the past year, and homicide in London is also at a 10-year low.
“Despite a £260million funding gap and amid a shrinking Met, we are protecting neighbourhood policing, response policing and public protection so we can be there where and when the public needs us.”
A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq’s office said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping London safe and he continues to lead the way by being tough on crime with a record £1.16billion support for the police this year alone and tough on the complex causes of crime through the country's first Violence Reduction Unit which is leading an approach rooted in prevention and intervention.”