Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCRUTINY
Recommendation Evidence Inquiry’s Observations
7. The MPS should maintain the ongoing
progress and good practice identified in the
last HMIC Inspection of the Professional
Standards Department, ensuring that all
staff regardless of their background have
confidence in the grievance procedures.
The grievance procedure dealt
with in the HMIC report has
now been replaced by Fairness
at Work on which we have
commented extensively.
8. A press strategy should be adopted that:
• explains how to deal effectively with racespecific
and high-profile cases, using the
learning from critical incident training;
• includes the principles contained in the
National Union of Journalists Guidelines on
Race Reporting;
• does not compromise the principles of
natural justice.
The MPS
In his submission to the Inquiry, Dick Fedoricio, the MPS Director of Public Affairs, explained that: “Following the recommendations
made by the Virdi Inquiry Report in December 2001, the DPA amended the instructions issued to press officers concerning racial matters and
the broader area of diversity including sexual orientation, religion, gender and transgender issues.
“These instructions were drafted in consultation with the CRE and the MPS IAG and incorporate the same guidelines laid down by the
National Union of Journalists for reporting on race.
“As a result the MPS will only confirm an employee’s race if we are asked by the media and if it is strictly relevant. Such an instance would be
if an internal investigation had an obvious racial component, for example, having been triggered by allegations of racist language being used. In
the context of professional standards and employment matters the DPA does not offer the race of an officer in news releases or statements.
“Following recent publicised allegations that visible ethnic minority officers are being disproportionately targeted by internal investigations it
has become commonplace for the DPA to be asked for the race of any officer subject to internal investigation or suspension. While such
information would never be volunteered to the media it will be given as a response to a specific question. To do otherwise would be to
frustrate legitimate scrutiny of the disproportionality issue, a matter clearly in the public interest.”
This recommendation appears
to have been implemented.
MBPA
Their submission stated that: “The lessons of Virdi either have not been learned, or are simply ignored, when it comes to dealing with
black and minority ethnic officers and staff in high profile cases.”
9. Senior officers should regularly monitor and
review how effectively middle and junior
managers implement the organisation’s
policies and commitments to equality.
The MPS
The Deputy Commissioner’s submission states that the Commissioner reported to the MPA on 10 June 2003 that:
“Recommendation 9 was ‘fully adopted and ongoing’.”
MET-TUS
The MET-TUS told us that “We are not aware of this being done in any formal, structured way.”
This is a sound recommendation
but monitoring cannot occur
without management
information and we are
not aware of a structure
or system which would
yield that information.
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