The UK's largest police force has apologised after the Independent Office for Police Conduct discovered hundreds of racist and sexist messages sent by officers.
The IOPC's Hotton Report found hundreds of messages between officers based in Charing Cross police station in London with crude racist language and threats to both female officers as well as female partners of the officers.
One comment found by the investigation seemed to make light of the Holocaust, comparing the deaths of millions of Jews to flies.
The comment, posted in a chat between officers said: “Opened my balcony door and loads of flies flew into the front room. So I got the fly spray and turned my gaff into Auschwitz.”
Other comments made by the officers included racist language about African immigrants, with one officer saying: “My dad kidnapped some African children and used them to make dog food.”
The report describes the behaviour of Met as "not isolated or simply the behaviour of a few ‘bad apples'" and that the force was rife with bullying and harassment between officers.
The conduct of a team of officers at Charing Cross Police Station in central London does not represent the values of the Metropolitan Police Service.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 1, 2022
We are deeply sorry to everyone they have failed with their appalling conduct.https://t.co/ccSoF0gHCD pic.twitter.com/uCpkiEjRW5
In a statement apologising for the officers' conduct, the Met Police said: "The conduct of a team of officers at Charing Cross police station in central London does not represent the values of the Metropolitan Police Service.
"We are deeply sorry to Londoners and everyone they have failed with their appalling conduct and acknowledge how this will damage the trust and confidence of many in the Met.
"Since this reprehensible behaviour was uncovered in 2017 we have taken a series of measures to hold those responsible to account and stamp out unacceptable behaviour."
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "It is deeply disturbing that those who are supposed to be protecting British Jews and other communities could be the very ones discriminating against us. The Met's statement that it has taken action against those responsible cannot be mere words to make the problem go away, but rather must represent the start of a fundamental change in workplace culture."
