Top Black cop faced appalling Met racism

And still it goes on, and on and on. If the Metropolitan police can treat one of its own top Black officers with such contempt and viciousness, what chance ordinary Black people? What chance a young Black man already angry and frustrated at being racially targeted by officers?

Yesterday -Tues 2nd Sept- a tribunal gave a damning report on the discrimination towards top Black cop, PC Carol Howard by the Met Police. They concluded that she had been discriminated in a racial and gender manner that was “vindictive … spiteful … insulting, malicious and oppressive"

The tribunal found that Howard had been “singled out and targeted" for almost a year by one boss, acting Insp Dave Kelly, because of her race and gender. Kelly ordered junior officers to ask Howard about her sex life and whether she was sleeping with a colleague, it found.

Worse still the tribunal had also uncovered that the Met itself had removed evidence of racial and sexual discrimination from documents it submitted to panel hearing PC Howard's case.

To add insult to injury the Tribunal also found that the Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe’s comments on surrounding this case was less than helpful.

The tribunal said the commissioner's remarks "contained no expression of regret … or any apology".

The tribunal also said Hogan-Howe's comments that Howard's ordeal was one incident involving one person was an attempt to brush it off.

Today Howard was awarded £37, 000 for damages.

In a statement, Howard said:

"I have been put through a two-year ordeal in which I have been bullied, harassed and victimised simply because of my gender and race. No amount of compensation will ever make up for the hurt and upset that I have been caused.

"The only reaction from the police was to smear my name by releasing misleading details of my arrests. I am glad that the tribunal recognised that this leak of information was a dirty trick by the Metropolitan police.

"It saddens me that I found myself in this position through no fault of my own but I do hope that lessons can be learned from my case which will allow more officers, suffering similar discriminatory treatment, to come forward."

The Black community and society as a whole are waiting for a new era of policing, one which respects Black people both within and outside the police force. A Met police force that takes full responsibility for its actions, and will prosecute senior officers such as Inspector Dave Kelly for his reprehensible actions.

We live in hope because we care, but we need action and fast.

Simon Woolley