- Investigation finds unjustified undercover police operations against activist groups
- Report reveals sexual relationships and misconduct by undercover officers
- Met Police acknowledges “legacy of hurt” but claims transformation of undercover policing
The Met acknowledges that the “unacceptable and immoral behavior” of some officers has left a “legacy of hurt.” But asserts that undercover policing has been transformed and is nothing like it was decades ago.
An investigation into undercover police operations against activist groups concluded that the deployments were unjustified and would have been “brought to a rapid end” if the public had known what was going on.
Retired judge Sir John Mitting is investigating 139 undercover police who spied on over 1,000 left-leaning groups.
Male police officers had sexual relationships and fathered children with female activists without their knowledge.
The Metropolitan Police has apologized for causing “enormous distress” and stated that covert operations have undergone “radical reform.”
It refused, however, to affirm or deny whether disruptive protest groups are still being infiltrated today.
The Thursday interim report covers 1968–1982, when the Special Operations Squad (later Special Demonstration Squad) was founded.
It concludes that certain methods, including the use of the identities of deceased children, “would have inevitably raised legitimate public concern and embarrassed the commissioner and his police authority, the home secretary.”
In addition, the report states, “Long-term deployments into political groups required the undercover officer. Whether male or female, to befriend members of the target groups and enter their personal and political lives.”
Before it should have been considered as a police tactic, this intrusion into the lives of hundreds of people in this era required a convincing justification, putting aside the possibility of sexual relationships developing.
Sir John says top MPS and Home Office officials have not remedied these concerns in this timeframe.
He said a 1976 Metropolitan Police assessment found undercover agents “extremely important” in public order.
However, he discovers that methodological issues were not examined.
The government knew about these operations, but the report doesn’t say who approved Sir John’s proposed closure.
The covert operation ‘would have been shut down
Sir John states, “It is difficult to imagine a legitimate conclusion that would not have resulted in the closure of the Special Demonstration Squad if these issues had been addressed.”
“If its purpose was to prevent or investigate serious crime,” the study allows long-term infiltration of political single-issue organisations. Including terrorist activity,” and notes the existence of such groups during the Cold War and the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
In this first portion of the study, which concentrates on the 1970s, three groupings are indicated. Two of which were not identified in ‘closed’ evidence and the third being “(Provisional) Sinn Fein.”
However, the report concludes that “the vast majority of SDS deployments during this period did not meet either criterion.”
The primary objective of infiltrating leftist and anarchist organizations was to maintain public order.
Under the Heath administration (1970–1974), industrial unrest was the primary concern, whereas under the Callaghan administration (1976–1979), the infiltration of trade unions by the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Labour Party by Militant Tendency was the primary concern.
While the report concludes that undercover policing “made a significant contribution.” It also concludes that the same results could have been achieved through “less intrusive means.”
Campaigners will have to wait until 2010 for the full findings.
Today, “Jessica,” who was tricked into a sexual relationship, said that SDS police used “racist, offensive, and sexist language.”
“[It] demonstrates the disdain in which they held campaigners – they had no boundaries, whether they were reporting on children or making salacious remarks about people’s sexual activities,” she said.
According to trade unionist Dave Smith, police infiltration has prohibited thousands of construction employees.
He stated that it demonstrated additional misconduct by the Met and that “anyone involved in genuine civic society – trade unionists, environmental activists, and legal political parties” were viewed as legitimate targets for surveillance.
In his “work in progress,” inquiry chair Sir John states, “Some issues are better addressed when all the evidence is in, particularly the impact of the conduct of male police officers on women duped into sexual relationships with them and the families of the officers.”
Identity adoption and intelligence collecting on “justice” campaigns.
“For the same reason, I have refrained from drawing sweeping generalizations about the attitude of police officers and supervisors within the unit towards deceptive sexual relationships during deployments.”
Met admits to a ‘legacy of pain’
This is a setback for activists who are already frustrated by the delays in the investigation, which was launched in 2015 by the then-home Secretary Theresa May and was originally anticipated to conclude in 2018.
At the presentation of this interim report, journalists were told that many of the concerns, such as the impact of male officers’ behavior on women and the practice of using the names of deceased children, become “bigger issues in subsequent years.”
Met Police stated that the report acknowledged that some clandestine work was effective in preventing disorder. “Honestly and with the belief that what they were doing was legal,” most police said.”
However, it acknowledged that some officers’ “unacceptable and immoral behavior” had left a “legacy of hurt.”
Commander Jon Savell stated in a statement that he wanted to “reiterate the apologies made to women duped into sexual relationships by officers, to the families of deceased children whose identities were used by officers, and to those who suffered a miscarriage of justice due to the actions of SDS officers.”
“Increased regulation, professional codes of practise, and judicial oversight” have changed undercover policing since the 1970s.
However, He repeatedly refused to confirm whether infiltration operations are still being used against protest organizations like Extinction Rebellion.
Mr. Savell insisted that undercover work is a legitimate tactic that “protects people from crime.” Adding, “I understand that people are going to want to know what is going on right now. But it would be inappropriate for me to confirm or deny it because it would compromise the investigation.”
