Sir Robert Peel, the founder of modern policing, once set out that “the police are the public and the public are the police”. In this way, the power of the police emanates from the common consent of the public, as opposed to the state.
Fast forward nearly two centuries and the Metropolitan Police faces a crisis. The latest revelations, secured by the Evening Standard via a Freedom of Information request, reveal that more than 100 Met officers who are currently under investigation for suspected crimes — including domestic abuse — remain working as normal. Furthermore, nearly half of officers who have a case to answer for alleged gross misconduct have not been placed on restricted duties, meaning some continue to police the streets.
