Met tries to cover up photos of police without IDs

A leaked email obtained by the Standard shows Scotland Yard instructing that pictures of uniformed officers breaching rules which state that they should be identifiable at all times must be "culled" from image libraries and databases.

It also warns that images showing police without their numbers "must not be used" and instructs that if any uniformed officers are "put up for interview you should make sure that they have their shoulder numbers/markings and name badges in place".

A sergeant who has been charged with assaulting one protester is among a handful of police accused of not wearing their identity epaulette.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said today: "The Metropolitan Police seem to be mistaking themselves for 1984's Ministry of Truth and attempting to falsify history.

"It is internal discipline problems in the Met that were responsible for officers not displaying their numbers and not the fault of the people who photographed them.

The Met said the email was a standard procedure of any publicity department. A spokesman said: "Any suggestion the Metropolitan Police is looking to re-write history is absolute rubbish. The Met is no different to many other organisations in seeking to ensure the most up-to-date images are used on posters and other publications."

The email was sent to the Met's internal communications and publicity staff and forwarded to some "suppliers" such as printers and some London councils. The Met said some councils were informed because they ran internal publications in partnership with Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

In April, Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson ordered all officers to display their identity number on their uniforms in a crackdown.

The email states any "still or moving photography or images of police officers must show them wearing their correct shoulder numbers/markings and name badges if these areas of uniform are included within the shot. As a precaution, if you hold any photography or images that do not meet this instruction they should be culled."

A town hall source told the Standard: "It's a bit rich to ask organisations outside the Met to 'purge' their own photographic libraries but it does show how embarrassed they were."

The email in full

Dear all

As of now, any still or moving photography or images of police officers must show them wearing their correct shoulder numbers/markings and name badges if these areas of uniform are included within the shot.

If any of these items are missing the photography or images must not be used.

As a precaution, if you hold any photography or images that do not meet this instruction they should be culled from your libraries or other systems you may have for their storage.

If you are reprinting or updating any existing documents or materials, including moving images, the opportunity should be taken to check whether the photographs meet this instruction. If not, they should be changed.

If you work with any external suppliers you need to make them aware of this instruction.

Also, when putting any uniformed officers up for interview you should make sure that they have their shoulder numbers/markings and name badges in place.

Dick
Dick Fedorcio OBE
Director of Public Affairs
Metropolitan Police Service