
Sensemaker Audio
David Carrick: a rapist in the ranks
On Monday, Metropolitan police officer David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences including rape and sexual assault. Over 20 years, the Met had nine opportunities to stop him. Why didnât it?
Sensemaker Audio
On Monday, Metropolitan police officer David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences including rape and sexual assault. Over 20 years, the Met had nine opportunities to stop him. Why didnât it?
Sensemaker Audio
A new report has exposed how the Metropolitan Police deals with wrongdoing within its ranks. Who is the woman holding a mirror up to the Met and what has she found?
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A firearms officer has been suspended after Chris Kaba was shot dead whilst driving a car that had been flagged by number plate recognition cameras. He was unarmed. His case will be the first challenge for the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Sensemaker Audio
A Black sprinter was twice stopped by the police while driving. What does his story reveal about institutional racism in the Met?
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How many more Child Qs are there? How many children are strip-searched by the police and who are they? Patricia Clarke and Claudia Williams investigate
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Applications for the next commissioner of Londonâs Metropolitan Police have now closed. Who are the runners and riders?
Sensemaker
A 15-year-old Black school girl who was suspected of carrying cannabis was strip searched by police officers at her school. How unusual is this?
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn.Dame Cressida Dick described Sarah Everardâs killer as a âbad appleâ, but he is far from the only officer found to have been sharing discriminatory, misogynistic and graphic content in Whatsapp and private facebook groups. The soon-to-be-former Met Commissioner wrote to all of her 43,000 officers demanding they do not stand by when they witness bad behaviour. London Mayor Sadiq Khan was not satisfied with the response, claiming no confidence in her leadership, in turn leaving the Commissioner âno choiceâ but to resign.On the other hand, some police insiders have taken to social media to express real concern that the intense focus on misogyny in policing is counterproductive. They suggest that some police leadersâ newfound anti-sexist stance is heavy-handed, sanctimonious and hypocritical. Some insist that âbanterâ is a harmless and critical part of police culture, and others simply object to yet another set of guidelines over what is and isnât OK to say. Whoâs right? Could it be that where major efforts to shift police cultural norms around sexist behaviour exist, they could be making things worse?This ThinkIn is part of Tortoise Investigates: Police and Misogyny. A year-long collaboration between Tortoise reporters and members, this project seeks to explore the way police culture consistently permits the failure to prosecute, and sometimes even to investigate, sexual and violent crime against women and girls.If you have an experience to share that would help our investigation, on or off the record, please contact liz@tortoisemedia.com. editor and invited experts Liz MoseleyEditor Graham GouldenFormer Chief Inspector, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit
Sensemaker
How an investigation by the Metropolitan Police threatens Boris Johnson no matter what it finds.
Sensemaker Audio
On Monday, Metropolitan police officer David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences including rape and sexual assault. Over 20 years, the Met had nine opportunities to stop him. Why didnât it?
Sensemaker Audio
A new report has exposed how the Metropolitan Police deals with wrongdoing within its ranks. Who is the woman holding a mirror up to the Met and what has she found?
Sensemaker Audio
A firearms officer has been suspended after Chris Kaba was shot dead whilst driving a car that had been flagged by number plate recognition cameras. He was unarmed. His case will be the first challenge for the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Sensemaker Audio
A Black sprinter was twice stopped by the police while driving. What does his story reveal about institutional racism in the Met?
Slow Newscast
How many more Child Qs are there? How many children are strip-searched by the police and who are they? Patricia Clarke and Claudia Williams investigate
Sensemaker Audio
Applications for the next commissioner of Londonâs Metropolitan Police have now closed. Who are the runners and riders?
Sensemaker
A 15-year-old Black school girl who was suspected of carrying cannabis was strip searched by police officers at her school. How unusual is this?
Sensemaker
How an investigation by the Metropolitan Police threatens Boris Johnson no matter what it finds.
Sensemaker
What are Serious Violence Reduction Orders, and why are they controversial?
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn.Dame Cressida Dick described Sarah Everardâs killer as a âbad appleâ, but he is far from the only officer found to have been sharing discriminatory, misogynistic and graphic content in Whatsapp and private facebook groups. The soon-to-be-former Met Commissioner wrote to all of her 43,000 officers demanding they do not stand by when they witness bad behaviour. London Mayor Sadiq Khan was not satisfied with the response, claiming no confidence in her leadership, in turn leaving the Commissioner âno choiceâ but to resign.On the other hand, some police insiders have taken to social media to express real concern that the intense focus on misogyny in policing is counterproductive. They suggest that some police leadersâ newfound anti-sexist stance is heavy-handed, sanctimonious and hypocritical. Some insist that âbanterâ is a harmless and critical part of police culture, and others simply object to yet another set of guidelines over what is and isnât OK to say. Whoâs right? Could it be that where major efforts to shift police cultural norms around sexist behaviour exist, they could be making things worse?This ThinkIn is part of Tortoise Investigates: Police and Misogyny. A year-long collaboration between Tortoise reporters and members, this project seeks to explore the way police culture consistently permits the failure to prosecute, and sometimes even to investigate, sexual and violent crime against women and girls.If you have an experience to share that would help our investigation, on or off the record, please contact liz@tortoisemedia.com. editor and invited experts Liz MoseleyEditor Graham GouldenFormer Chief Inspector, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn.Misogynistic content of private police WhatsApp groups brought both shame and scrutiny on police culture last year. But even some of the things police officers say in public â both in official statements and on personal social media accounts â can be jaw-dropping. At the Tortoise Policing Inquiry in November last year, we heard that âpolice Twitter is a cesspitâ. For the purposes of our investigation into police culture, such public content is a potent source of evidence â but the negative effects of social media echo-chambers, exaggerating and endorsing unacceptable attitudes â are well-documented. How should police use of digital communications platforms be moderated? Should serving officers be banned from Twitter?  This ThinkIn is part of Tortoise Investigates: Police and Misogyny. A year-long collaboration between Tortoise reporters and members, this project seeks to explore the way police culture consistently permits the failure to prosecute, and sometimes even to investigate, sexual and violent crime against women and girls.If you have an experience to share that would help our investigation, on or off the record, please contact liz@tortoisemedia.com. editor Liz MoseleyEditor
thinkin
Today, David Carrick is one of the worst sex offenders in modern history who committed his crimes whilst serving as a Metropolitan Police officer. Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard whilst also serving as a Metropolitan Police officer. Can Londonâs police force ever repair the damage to its reputation and regain the trust of the public? âThis is a man who relentlessly degraded, belittled, sexually assaulted and raped womenâJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor This is Jaswant Narwal, a Chief Crown Prosecutor, speaking outside Southwark Crown Court. âAs time went on the severity of his offending intensified as he became emboldened thinking he would get away with it.âJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor Sheâs talking about David Carrick. âThe scale of the degradation Carrick subjected his victims to is unlike anything Iâve encountered in my 34 years with a Crown Prosecution Service.âJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor The similarities between him and Wayne Couzens are striking. They were Metropolitan police officers when they committed their crimes and they both worked for the same unit. Wayne Couzens was nicknamed âthe rapistâ by his colleagues because he made women feel uncomfortable. David Carrick was nicknamed âBastard Daveâ by his fellow officers because he had a reputation for being mean and cruel. Since 2000, heâd been repeatedly reported to the Met and three other police forces for criminal and predatory behaviour against women. Despite those allegations though, David Carrick was allowed to continue working, and was revetted in 2017. But on Monday, 20 years after his first known offence, he pleaded guilty to 49 offences. âToday PC Garrick pleaded guilty to 24 rapes and as many other crimes against women, 12 different women, including attempted rape, sexual assault and possessing a gun to cause fear⊠⊠the Metropolitan had nine opportunities to stop him, and didnât.âITV News That failure to deal with him sooner is ultimately why the Met has so many questions to answer, because again, the same was true with Wayne Couzens. Police missed opportunities to stop him. So how did the police eventually catch up with another one of their own? *** In October 2021 â a woman told Hertfordshire police that David Carrick had flashed his police warrant card â to reassure her, before attacking and raping her in a St Albans hotel. The abuse of his power is similar to how Wayne Couzens first approached Sarah Everard. âPC Wayne Couzens was caught on camera showing something to Sarah Everard, presumed to be his warrant card.âChannel 4 News The woman in this case came forward almost immediately after Wayne Couzens was handed a life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Thatâs what led to David Carrick being arrested and suspended from duty. And it also led to other women coming forward. The first known attack happened in 2003. He imprisoned her and subjected her to an indecent assault. A string of other offences against multiple victims followed, the majority of whom had met David Carrick on dating apps or at social clubs. âPC David Carrick repeatedly humiliated his victims, locking women in the under stairs cupboard of his Hertfordshire home, or forcing them to clean his house naked.âITV News Now heâs admitted charges relating to 12 women, so why did he get away with it for so long? *** âIâm sorry and I know weâve let, weâve let women downâŠâMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has said the force will crack down on offenders within its ranks. âI mean I think we failed over two decades to be as ruthless as we ought to be regarding our own integrity, we havenât been as intrusive as we should be joining the dots on cases to spot problematic officers.âMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner A review of 1,000 Met officers who have been accused of domestic violence or sex offences, including rape, is now underway. And the Home Office has asked all police forces to check staff against a national database to identify if anyone slipped through the net. But Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been criticised for her response to the David Carrick case. âWell itâs clear that today is a sobering day for the Met Police Service and indeed for the whole policing family throughout the country. This appalling incident represents a breach of trust, it will affect peopleâs confidence in the police, and itâs clear that standards and culture need to change.âSuella Braverman, Home Secretary Several Conservative MPs have demanded more measures to tackle misogyny in the police, while Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has criticised the lack of leadership from the government. âAfter the truly appalling murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, Home Office ministers promised change. The then Home Secretary promised to set up processes that would prevent this happening again. That has badly failed. There are still no legal requirements on vetting, forces can effectively do what they want, they donât even have to check employment history and character references and some donât. They donât even have to interview people beforehand.âYvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary speaking in the Houses of Parliament Not only does the policeâs poor vetting process allow predatory people to become police officers, there are also concerns about how difficult it is to sack racist, sexist or failing staff. Mark Rowley says he came back into policing to overhaul the Met. Heâs pledged to rid the force of predators, and believes recommendations from an independent review will be radical. âBaroness Louise Casey is looking systematically at our culture and standards and doing an independent review. She has already done an interim report on our handling of standards issues and the Carrick case is a tragic illustration of the findings she found, but sheâs going to look more systematically and widely and Iâm sure her recommendations will be radical and powerful and Iâm completely up for that.âMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner speaking on Radio 4âs Today programme Louise Casey is known for shining a light on institutions and revealing uncomfortable truths, but the job of restoring trust in the police has just got much harder. This episode was written and mixed by Imy Harper.
thinkin
Today, David Carrick is one of the worst sex offenders in modern history who committed his crimes whilst serving as a Metropolitan Police officer. Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard whilst also serving as a Metropolitan Police officer. Can Londonâs police force ever repair the damage to its reputation and regain the trust of the public? âThis is a man who relentlessly degraded, belittled, sexually assaulted and raped womenâJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor This is Jaswant Narwal, a Chief Crown Prosecutor, speaking outside Southwark Crown Court. âAs time went on the severity of his offending intensified as he became emboldened thinking he would get away with it.âJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor Sheâs talking about David Carrick. âThe scale of the degradation Carrick subjected his victims to is unlike anything Iâve encountered in my 34 years with a Crown Prosecution Service.âJaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor The similarities between him and Wayne Couzens are striking. They were Metropolitan police officers when they committed their crimes and they both worked for the same unit. Wayne Couzens was nicknamed âthe rapistâ by his colleagues because he made women feel uncomfortable. David Carrick was nicknamed âBastard Daveâ by his fellow officers because he had a reputation for being mean and cruel. Since 2000, heâd been repeatedly reported to the Met and three other police forces for criminal and predatory behaviour against women. Despite those allegations though, David Carrick was allowed to continue working, and was revetted in 2017. But on Monday, 20 years after his first known offence, he pleaded guilty to 49 offences. âToday PC Garrick pleaded guilty to 24 rapes and as many other crimes against women, 12 different women, including attempted rape, sexual assault and possessing a gun to cause fear⊠⊠the Metropolitan had nine opportunities to stop him, and didnât.âITV News That failure to deal with him sooner is ultimately why the Met has so many questions to answer, because again, the same was true with Wayne Couzens. Police missed opportunities to stop him. So how did the police eventually catch up with another one of their own? *** In October 2021 â a woman told Hertfordshire police that David Carrick had flashed his police warrant card â to reassure her, before attacking and raping her in a St Albans hotel. The abuse of his power is similar to how Wayne Couzens first approached Sarah Everard. âPC Wayne Couzens was caught on camera showing something to Sarah Everard, presumed to be his warrant card.âChannel 4 News The woman in this case came forward almost immediately after Wayne Couzens was handed a life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Thatâs what led to David Carrick being arrested and suspended from duty. And it also led to other women coming forward. The first known attack happened in 2003. He imprisoned her and subjected her to an indecent assault. A string of other offences against multiple victims followed, the majority of whom had met David Carrick on dating apps or at social clubs. âPC David Carrick repeatedly humiliated his victims, locking women in the under stairs cupboard of his Hertfordshire home, or forcing them to clean his house naked.âITV News Now heâs admitted charges relating to 12 women, so why did he get away with it for so long? *** âIâm sorry and I know weâve let, weâve let women downâŠâMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has said the force will crack down on offenders within its ranks. âI mean I think we failed over two decades to be as ruthless as we ought to be regarding our own integrity, we havenât been as intrusive as we should be joining the dots on cases to spot problematic officers.âMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner A review of 1,000 Met officers who have been accused of domestic violence or sex offences, including rape, is now underway. And the Home Office has asked all police forces to check staff against a national database to identify if anyone slipped through the net. But Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been criticised for her response to the David Carrick case. âWell itâs clear that today is a sobering day for the Met Police Service and indeed for the whole policing family throughout the country. This appalling incident represents a breach of trust, it will affect peopleâs confidence in the police, and itâs clear that standards and culture need to change.âSuella Braverman, Home Secretary Several Conservative MPs have demanded more measures to tackle misogyny in the police, while Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has criticised the lack of leadership from the government. âAfter the truly appalling murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, Home Office ministers promised change. The then Home Secretary promised to set up processes that would prevent this happening again. That has badly failed. There are still no legal requirements on vetting, forces can effectively do what they want, they donât even have to check employment history and character references and some donât. They donât even have to interview people beforehand.âYvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary speaking in the Houses of Parliament Not only does the policeâs poor vetting process allow predatory people to become police officers, there are also concerns about how difficult it is to sack racist, sexist or failing staff. Mark Rowley says he came back into policing to overhaul the Met. Heâs pledged to rid the force of predators, and believes recommendations from an independent review will be radical. âBaroness Louise Casey is looking systematically at our culture and standards and doing an independent review. She has already done an interim report on our handling of standards issues and the Carrick case is a tragic illustration of the findings she found, but sheâs going to look more systematically and widely and Iâm sure her recommendations will be radical and powerful and Iâm completely up for that.âMark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner speaking on Radio 4âs Today programme Louise Casey is known for shining a light on institutions and revealing uncomfortable truths, but the job of restoring trust in the police has just got much harder. This episode was written and mixed by Imy Harper.
Slow View
On both sides of the Atlantic, the police have an intractable cultural problem. As a former police chief in the US, Jeff Patterson has seen it first hand. Here he outlines how the forceâs treatment of female officers has changed over the years â and why it needs to be improved further still
Slow View
A recently-retired Metropolitan Police officer recounts her time in the force, and the misogyny she was forced to endure
Slow View
As a Black police officer, Leroy Logan experienced how embedded racism was in the force. History â and his experience â tell us that for change to happen, political will is required
Sensemaker
What just happened
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No independent review of the UK police â and there have been many â can fix the forceâs problems without the support of those inside its ranks
Slow View
And that means all of us â from institutions to individuals. For its part, the media has to end decades of complacency and start reporting furiously
Slow View
Whether or not you agree the police were heavy-handed at the Clapham Common vigil, we need greater public understanding of the challenges facing officers
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