Initial Comments on the Casey Report and Met Commissioner’s Turnaround Plan

London Jewish Forum welcomes this report.  We are saddened yet not shocked at its findings.

It is as important as the Macpherson report on the Stephen Lawrence enquiry.  The police response to Macpherson, as well as that of those who pay for and scrutinise the police, has to be as strong and dynamic.

We want to pay tribute to the Stephen Lawrence enquiry, 25 years ago this year, and give honoured memory to Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered on the 22nd April 1993.  We also want to remember the “conscience” of Stephen Lawrence, Dr Richard Stone, from the Jewish Community, who devoted much of that decade to the enquiry and its findings.

 

  1. Antisemitism and cases of hate crime against Jews are not mentioned at all in the Casey Report and referred to but once in the Commissioner’s Turnaround report.
  1. We recognise that there are relatively few Jewish police officers.  The Jewish Police Association speaks for them.
  1. We also can point to many times when our community has felt the support of the police.
  1. However there are times, sadly too many, when convictions, even for high profile anti-Semitic hate crime have not happened including both the Oxford Street incident and the A41 convoys.  There have been  investigations  where some police officers have not shown the level of understand required of either the importance of the investigation or to the cultural sensitivities.  There remain great concern at the reduced number of clear-ups (sanctioned detections) of  anti-Semitic crime.   We recognise that this is likely to be felt to be the case for other victims  of  hate crime.
  1. Policing the Metropolis is not easy and there are significant changes required to confront racism, homophobia and sexism in the police, but that is just a start.
  1. Many of the recommendations in Casey and Turnaround we and others will comment on in the coming days and weeks in consultation meetings with the Police, MOPAC and local borough leadership.  We have specific communal concerns and we look forward to presenting them in our continued consultations with the Met Police and MOPAC.
  1. That major change is needed in the Met Police has been known for a long while by successive commissioners who have not been able to deliver.  Sir Mark Rowley has a massive challenge and we hope he can make the many changes.. Will it be enough?
  1. As well as reading Casey and Turnaround, we look back a year to the Independent report to the Police Foundation on policing in England and Wales.  It needs to be considered if there are other concerns raised in that report that also need to be addressed.
  1. We still await further reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Police, Fire and Rescue services that may examine in more detail how the Met Police are now in special measures, and what are the consequences.
  1. Our community knows that we need a police force that is respected and is effective at protecting minority communities.  We pray that the outcome of this commission will lead to those improvements

 

Andrew Gilbert, Co-Chair

Adrian Cohen, Co-Chair

Daniella Myers, Director