The assessment from the police inspectorate has determined that the Metropolitan Police is not effectively handling the hazards presented by registered sex offenders and internet child abusers.
The research reveals that the force’s criminal investigations are plagued by “inconsistent decision-making” and disputes, as novice officers handle over 25 offences simultaneously.
The 2023-25 inspection programme of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has released its conclusions. These findings evaluate the performance of police forces in England and Wales regarding their effectiveness, efficiency, and legality.
The Metropolitan Police acknowledges the distinct difficulties it encounters.
The assessment evaluated the Metropolitan Police’s performance in eight policing domains. It determined that the force was satisfactory in one domain, needing improvement in five domains, and unsatisfactory in two domains – specifically, in crime investigation and offender and suspect management.
Inspectors noted a deficiency in training on the management of suspects and offenders and the utilisation of the Violent and Sex Offender Register in the part dedicated to this topic.
One specific instance was a high-risk registered sex offender who has not received any successful visits from officers or team members since 2017.
“As such, this individual and the risk they pose to the community wasn’t being managed,” the report said.
The inspection found “no proactive consideration” of arresting the individual or issuing a warrant.
More generally, it found that too many visits to registered sex offenders were announced in advance, potentially allowing the offender to conceal any prohibited devices and, therefore, appear to pose less risk.
While it was evident in my inspection that many vital changes have been and are being made, they are not yet translating into consistent and sustained improvements in some key areas.
A performance report provided to inspectors highlighted the Met had a “no further action” rate of 60% for “indecent imagery of children” investigations.
Officers and staff outside the online child sexual abuse and exploitation team did not have access to a digital triage, meaning officers “must guess which devices could have indecent images on them”.
The report said only two devices can be submitted to the unit at one time, which “increases the likelihood that investigative opportunities are being missed”.
Under the “investigating crime” section, the inspectorate found the force’s crime allocation policy led to “inconsistent decision-making across the force and to arguments about who should investigate what”.
There were examples during the inspection of complex crimes allocated to officers with only “basic investigative training”. At the same time, the report said supervisors in investigation teams had little or no training in managing crime workloads.
The quality of investigations for neighbourhood crimes was “generally poor”, and lines of enquiry were not always identified or pursued.
While I commend the force for its progress in answering the public’s calls quickly, I have serious concerns about how the force is currently investigating crime and how it manages offenders and suspects.
It also found that the Met does not consistently help victims access their rights, as laid out in the Victims’ Code, and it doesn’t always recognise when a victim is entitled to an enhanced service.
Among its recommendations, the inspectorate called for the Met to immediately review its operating model for the teams responsible for the day-to-day management of registered sex offenders and online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Lee Freeman, said: “The unique challenges facing the Metropolitan Police are not underestimated. Policing the capital city places additional strain on the force and its leadership, as the force tirelessly manages protests, state visits, royal occasions, and national and international sporting events.
“While it was evident in my inspection that many fundamental changes have and are being made, they are not yet translating into consistent and sustained improvements in some key areas.
“While I commend the force for its progress in answering the public’s calls quickly, I have serious concerns about how the force is currently investigating crime and how it manages offenders and suspects.
“I am aware that before our inspection, the force had already recognised the need to achieve better victim outcomes. However, these plans have not yet led to consistent improvements across the whole force, and more work needs to be done to ensure this happens.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.