Met chief may have ‘missed his moment’ to overhaul force, says Louise Casey

Author of damning report criticises Sir Mark Rowley over refusal to acknowledge institutional racism, sexism and homophobia

The Metropolitan police commissioner has “potentially missed his moment” to radically overhaul Britain’s largest police service by refusing to acknowledge there is institutional racism, sexism and homophobia within its ranks, according to Dame Louise Casey.

Casey, whose damning 300-page report found that prejudice was systematically present throughout the force, said Sir Mark Rowley was an “outstanding leader” but had missed an opportunity, nearly 25 years after the Macpherson report applied the term “institutional racism” to the police following the murder of Stephen Lawrence.