The hotline is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and will be operated by the charity Crimestoppers for those who feel uncomfortable entering a police station.
The largest police force in Britain has introduced an anonymous tipline for reporting dishonest or abusive cops.
The Metropolitan Police has been extensively criticized for failings in its anti-corruption and disciplinary procedures, which have allowed hundreds of corrupt officers and employees to remain in service.
It will be the first police force in the United Kingdom to have such a hotline.
People can contact the line anonymously with information about officers or employees who take bribes, use their power for sex, abuse their partner or family, or are racist, homophobic, or sexist.
It follows a series of crises involving officer culture and conduct at the Metropolitan Police, including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer.
There was also uproar over the sharing of racist and misogynistic statements by officers based at Charing Cross, the sharing of images of the bodies of murder victims Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry by two officers, and the strip searching of schoolchildren.
Baroness Casey’s devastating study of disciplinary procedures revealed that officers and staff were getting away with misconduct and breaking the law in a conduct system that is racist and misogynistic.
Commander James Harman, head of the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, stated that the Metropolitan Police intended the hotline to convey to the public that they “welcome information about officers who are fundamentally corrupt or misusing their policing position.”
He acknowledged that some individuals who are caught in a corrupt or violent relationship may not know where to seek assistance.
“They may not feel safe entering the local police station or following the normal routes,” he said.
This will allow people to seek assistance in a manner that they may not have previously felt comfortable with.
The hotline will be operated by the nonprofit Crimestoppers and calls will be free.
Mr. Harman stated, “We recognize that there have been far too many extremely significant incidents in which the public has felt and been let down by our officers and personnel.”
“I believe the Met, recognizing how severely that trust has been eroded, wants to demonstrate we are proactively attempting to reestablish confidence, and part of that is ensuring we’re doing everything we can to drive up standards within our organization,”
The establishment of the hotline follows the formation of a new anti-corruption command at the Metropolitan Police.
Additionally, more personnel have been transferred to the force’s professional standards department.
