Police gross misconduct threshold to be lowered in Casey review

Police officers accused of racism, misogyny and homophobia should face gross misconduct hearings so they can be kicked out of the force if found guilty, a damning report is expected to recommend.

Dame Louise Casey - who will publish her review into culture and standards in the Met on Tuesday - will accuse the force of being too tolerant of unacceptable behaviour in the past.

Police officers can only be dismissed if they are found to have committed gross misconduct rather than just misconduct.

But Dame Louise will say rogue officers in the Met have been treated too leniently in the past meaning even when they are found guilty of appalling behaviour they are able to carry on serving.

It is understood one of the recommendations in the report will be that the threshold for what constitutes gross misconduct is lowered to encompass more offences.

Braverman willing to consider new legislation

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has also pledged to give police chiefs any extra powers they need to sack those who break the rules, after complaints that they were being hampered by the law.

The long awaited review into the Met is expected to point to a string of examples where officers guilty of racism, sexism, homophobia and bullying were able to remain in their jobs.

Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, has warned that the current legal framework makes it difficult to sack officers, even when it is clear they have no place in policing.

But the Home Secretary has confirmed she is willing to consider new legislation that will give the final decision to police chiefs, saying: “If the law needs changing, I will do that.”

Proposals being considered by the Home Office would put chief constables in charge of all misconduct hearings, effectively sidelining the independent panels chaired by lawyers which have been criticised for hampering the removal of officers.

The review could also introduce automatic disciplinary action up to dismissal for officers convicted of crimes and fast-track sackings of the worst performing officers including those who fail to maintain their vetting status.

The Home Secretary said: “What's important now is that we get behind the commissioner and his turnaround plan. And we support him and his deputy to ensure that the Met is recruiting and retaining the best people to protect the public, is improving its standards and keeping people safe. The commissioner has my backing to do that.”

Met must undergo radical reform

Dame Louise’s hard hitting 300-page report contains more than a dozen recommendations and is understood to warn that unless the Met undergoes radical reform it faces the prospect of being broken up and having areas of national responsibility, such as counter-terrorism, removed.

She was commissioned to investigate the Met in the wake of the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer, Wayne Couzens.

Last month one of his colleagues, David Carrick, in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) command was jailed for life after admitting 49 sex offences.

As The Telegraph revealed on Saturday, the Casey report will recommend that the armed unit is “effectively disbanded” with all officers having to undergo re-vetting.

Cressida Dick expected to be criticised

The overall findings will make grim reading for Sir Mark and his top team, with the report expected to accuse the force of widespread institutional racism, homophobia and misogyny.

But Dame Louise will also make clear that she supports his plans to reform the force.

Sir Mark’s predecessor in the role, Dame Cressida Dick, is also expected to come in for criticism over her handling of a series of scandals.

But in a letter published on Sunday she defended her record pointing out that it was she who had commissioned Dame Louise to carry out the review.

She said: “I am proud of the genuine changes and improvements in culture that came in my time as commissioner.”

The review is also understood to recommend a new oversight board chaired by the Mayor of London, which will give him more responsibility to ensure things do not go wrong.