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THE MET was warned nine months before it freed black-cab rapist John Worboys that the key local units which handled his case were in chaos and blighted by power struggles between top officers.
A report by Government inspectors found that Plumstead CID - which released Worboys without charge despite complaints by a student that she had been drugged and molested - was in "disarray" and suffering from apathy.
It also concluded that its specialist sex crimes section was short of detectives and that the force's borough command in Greenwich was split with "dictatorial" senior officers engaged in "intimidation" and battles for power.
The damning assessment was delivered by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in November 2006, nine months before detectives in Greenwich made their disastrous decision to release Worboys.
Despite the gravity of the student's complaints, officers did not bother to search Worboys' flat, where evidence would have been found, or to make a link with other unsolved rape cases.
Their blunder left the 51-year-old cab driver, who was finally convicted last month for a string of sex attacks, to assault at least 29 others before he was detained. Among his victims was Caroline Symonds, 19, who waived her right to anonymity to come forward after seeing coverage of the case.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has already begun a probe into the errors, but today's disclosures about the highly critical report will raise further concerns about the failure of the Met's most senior leaders to tackle the problems sooner.
Since the conviction of Worboys, who is due to be sentenced on 21 April, the Met's borough commander in Greenwich, Chief Superintendent Chris Jarratt, who was in charge at the time of the bungled investigation, has been removed.
The decision followed an admission by Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson that he had "deep concerns" over his force's failures in the case.
The report, written by HMIC chief superintendent Nicola Grevatt, uses blunt language to describe a catalogue of failings, stating that "open and outright disagreements" had shattered the morale, confidence and performance of frontline officers.
It also accuses the borough's management team of being "confused", lacking leadership skills and operational experience, and "lacking cohesion and unity of purpose".
The local CID is described as "in some disarray" and needing "urgent review", with the report saying it was "lacking in informed strategic leadership", and suffered from "apathy and low morale".
The report also criticises the area's Sapphire units, which are responsible for tackling sex crimes, saying they were suffering from a lack of detectives and training - contributing to a failure to bring more prosecutions. It adds: "Caseloads militate against effective investigation ... the unit comprises four detectives supervised by two detective sergeants carrying workloads in excess of 15-20 [rape] allegations per officer [even though] the [borough of Greenwich] is the third most prolific generator of such crimes in the Met.
"Due to delays and the length of time taken to service [sex] investigations, victim attrition rates are high. This is an area of high risk to the organisation ... the borough operational command unit must address it as a matter of urgency."
Across the borough, the report also warns that overall success at solving crime is "weak" and worse than similar areas, attributing part of this to a feeling among the lower ranks that "an atmosphere of political correctness prevails", leading to feelings of "incipient paranoia" that "undoubtedly impacts on performance."
The inspection was conducted between 30 October and 3 November 2006 and its main findings communicated verbally to Greenwich police chiefs soon afterwards. The report was printed in late November 2006 and sent to Scotland Yard's then deputy assistant commissioner for territorial policing, Alfred Hitchcock.
It is almost certain that it would also have been seen by the then Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, by his deputy, now Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson and by DAC Hitchcock's then boss, Tim Godwin. Mr Godwin is now deputy to Sir Paul.
However, only limited action was taken and an HMIC follow-up inspection in September 2008 makes clear that almost two years on, the recommendations of the original 2006 report were only just starting to be implemented. Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, described today's revelations as "appalling" and said the failure of the Met's most senior officers to act more swiftly should be investigated.
"It is extraordinary that this report wasn't acted on and 29 women suffered terrible experiences because of it. What is the point of such reports if they are not acted on? The IPCC [Independent Police Complaints Commission] needs to look closely at who in Scotland Yard failed to take this report seriously and why the Met did not make the changes it so clearly asked for," she added.
In response to today's disclosures, Met Commander Mark Simmons said he was unable to comment on specific failures over Worboys because of the ongoing IPCC investigation, but insisted the force was "sorry" if it had failed any sex attack victim. He said most of the recommendations in the report had now been implemented.
Reader views (5)
Nobody seems to have realised that the HMIC report quoted was in November 2006 during the time of the previous borough commander. What happened to him? The mess he left behind has obviously taken ages to sort out. Due to the press campaign which keeps going over old ground in the pursuit of news, Greenwich is now losing the one person who has had the guts to take on these "confused" senior managers and do something about them. Press articles like this will be responsible for Greenwich people losing out again!
- Anon, London, England, 06/04/2009 22:12
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Ranter's comments are spot on with regards to the MET and policing, however it is not just in Greenwich Borough OCU where there are serious failings. In many North London Boroughs the Senior Management Teams are full of promotion-chasing ACPO wannabe's who are more interested in political correctness, targets and diversity than operational policing. It is a disgrace that these Senior Officers, under the incompetent direction of the Managemet at NSY and Home Office, have left crime-fighting units on Boroughs to decay by not giving them the right vehicles and resources to actually do the job. I am saddened and frustrated that so many dedicated and hardworking frontline officers are being let down terribly by these Senior Management Teams who do not listen to the operational officers and have no consideration for their wellbeing or morale.
- A.Non Pc, London,UK, 06/04/2009 15:49
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As usual, any officers who would be criticised in an enquiry will be given the option of retiring with an unblemished history and no mention of their name.
- Lawrence Dimery, Newcastle, 06/04/2009 14:01
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In this incredible world I've no doubt that John Worboys lawyers will be looking for compensation for him because the police were negligent in failing to stop him . The European Court of Rights will be sure to support any claim.
Political correctness is causing damage to the whole fabric of society .
Let teachers teach , doctors heal , social workers do what is best for their clients welfare , police police ,and stop all the blatant prejudice that comes from this so called correctness
- Terry, hennebont france, 06/04/2009 12:56
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Anyone who works within the MET or indeed in any of the UK police forces will not be surprised by the inspectorate's report. Plumstead is set within the Greenwich Borough OCU which has been beset by such problems for years although I am sure the last borough commander made any problems worse (a bit of digging here Gilligan style should pay off nicely). Policing has, especially under the present government, not been by public consent but by government targets and ambitious senior officer's CVs. The comments about political correctness and incipient paranoia are nothing new. This became worse post-Macpherson aided and abetted by ACPO. It isn't hard to feel paranoid surrounded by the permanently aggrieved and the very easily offended. Just look at the latest Policing Pledge nonsense. It is appalling that senior officers at NSY failed to act quickly on the findings but we all know what state the commissioners management board was in under Blair with Ghaffur, DIzaei and everyone else suing each other and the service at the drop of a hat. While they were fighting each other at that level what hope lower down the food chain? Too much diversity - not enough policing.
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK, 06/04/2009 12:27
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