Scotland Yard has launched more than 700 anti-corruption and abuse investigations since a public hotline to report rogue officers was set up 18 months ago.
The Metropolitan Police received around 3,000 tip-offs from the confidential service, which was rolled out nationally on Thursday.
Sarah Everard’s kidnap and murder by PC Wayne Couzens, who worked in the same armed unit as serial rapist David Carrick, led the force to set it up in November 2022.
Details can be passed on anonymously about police, staff or volunteers who may be accepting bribes, abusing their position, mistreating their partner or expressing racist, homophobic, misogynistic or disablist beliefs.
Among cases in London, a male PC was charged with rape and a series of serious offences against a vulnerable woman known to him as a result of information received last year.
Within days of the hotline being set up, action was taken against PC Lauren Burns who boasted in the workplace of using cocaine on a boat party two weeks earlier.
Burns, later dismissed without notice, refused to provide a sample of urine as part of a drugs test.
Last autumn, colleagues were shocked to discover a female officer in her 40s had another job while on paid long-term sick leave.
A gross misconduct probe is ongoing and she is restricted from pursuing business interests.
The hotline run by independent charity Crimestoppers is now available for reports about all 43 UK police forces, either online or via 0800 085 0000.
About 1,988 calls and 890 online reports have been received in the capital with 867 pieces of intelligence passed on. This has led to 728 Met investigations.
The remaining 139 reports were passed to other relevant constabularies.
With both PCs Couzens and Carrick, a series of opportunities were missed to root out their abhorrent behaviour, shaking public confidence in the police service to find wrongdoing in its own ranks.
Various other scandals severely damaged the Met’s reputation, including two officers jailed for sharing pictures of the bodies of two murdered sisters in Wembley, and deeply offensive and disturbing messages shared among some officers in WhatsApp groups.
Last month, an independent review by Lady Elish Angiolini found that a series of red flags were missed about Couzens, who was a serial sex offender in spiralling debt.
According to the Yard, there has also been a 212 per cent increase in whistleblowing reports across all its internal integrity lines, compared to 2022.
Typically, there are around 40 calls a week.Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Day, from the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said the reporting service “bolstered efforts to root out anyone abusing their position” in a bid to win back trust and confidence.
He said: “The hundreds of reports into Crimestoppers show that the service has had a really significant impact, leading to vital intelligence being contributed to dozens of ongoing enquiries here and outside the Met, as well as causing us to launching new investigations.
“Its success has been a very positive step for our communities in London, and we are pleased that all the other forces have decided to adopt it and we will see a national roll out.
“It’s vital that the public know there are clear systems in place where appalling behaviours will be challenged and addressed robustly and that those within policing know they can trust their colleagues.
”Policing minister Chris Philp added: “Public confidence in our police has been severely damaged.
“There can be no stone left unturned in our efforts to clean up the workforce and culture, and rebuild trust.”
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “We do not underestimate the impact recent events have had on trust and confidence in policing, including the appalling findings of the Angiolini report.
“The vast majority of police officers and staff act professionally and with integrity in the fulfilment of their duties to protect the public. We must take tough action to purge policing of those responsible for wrongdoing, for now and for the future.
“This year, we checked our entire workforce for unknown allegations or concerns and will begin long-term screening to ensure that there is no place for corrupt or abusive officers and staff to hide in our forces.”
