Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

THE CASE FOR CHANGE
catastrophic. The policy is right; it is the approach and application which we
believe needs to be reviewed and this is essentially what we are recommending.
1.23 Having considered the evidence on complaints and discipline, we are
concerned that some managers lack the confidence to manage black and minority
ethnic officers without being affected by their race. The statistics indicate clear
disproportionality in the way black and minority ethnic officers are treated in
relation to the management of their conduct. This represents a serious issue of
discrimination which must be tackled as a matter of priority. The same high
standards of conduct should apply to all officers and staff.
1.24 Such is the level of our concern that we will be directing the issue to the
attention of the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Commission
for Racial Equality for their consideration.
1.25 We have received evidence that managers lack confidence in managing other
issues of difference, whether of gender, disability, sexual orientation or faith. The
evidence also showed that insufficient priority had been given to differences other
than race. Urgent work must be undertaken to build the confidence of managers
in managing all aspects of difference, so ensuring that this becomes the golden
thread which runs through all areas of the MPS’ activity.
Governance, Accountability and Scrutiny
1.26 We were specifically asked to examine how the Metropolitan Police Authority
(MPA) discharges its oversight role in relation to all matters within the Inquiry’s
remit, particularly in relation to sensitive or high profile cases. It was suggested to us
that a change was needed in the legislation governing the respective responsibilities
of police authorities on the one hand, and Chief Constables (the Commissioner) on
the other. We were not persuaded that the evidence merits any recommendation to
disturb the current balance of the relationship, but we do consider that there is
scope for the MPA to exercise its powers under the current legislative framework
more robustly.
1.27 However, we appreciate that effective scrutiny depends equally on the
co-operation of the body which is subject to that scrutiny and we believe that there
is work for the MPS to do in ensuring that all relevant officers and staff understand
the benefits that effective scrutiny can bring.
1.28 Our terms of reference also ask us to consider the progress made in
implementing the recommendations of the Inquiry by the MPA into the case
involving Detective Sergeant Virdi. We found it difficult to establish the factual
position, so far as implementation is concerned, and are recommending that the
MPA convenes and chairs a case conference of all stakeholders to establish the true
position and to determine what action, if any, should be taken.
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