Racism, misogyny, homophobia, corruption: we want to fix the crisis in policing

‘Policing of the vigil following Sarah Everard’s death drew criticism from across the political spectrum.’ Police detain a woman at a protest at Clapham Common after the murder of Sarah Everard, March 2021. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

As the search for a new police commissioner draws to a conclusion, newspaper headlines continue to suggest that the Metropolitan police is failing on an unprecedented scale, repeatedly letting down the public that it is there to protect.

And the charge sheet runs long. The policing of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley was marred by scenes of serious disorder, described in an independent review as “a source of national shame”. The author, Louise Casey, reported that policing “did not sufficiently mitigate the risk of ticketless fans, with officers deployed too late in the day”. Yet the Met claimed it provided “one of the most significant and comprehensive policing plans ever committed to football”. This was blatantly not the case and those there know it.