A charity has said whistleblowers in the Met Police could be prevented from coming forward unless the right leadership is displayed, after Mark Rowley complained about his force's disciplinary process
that it's "crazy" he can't sack officers under investigation may discourage people from coming forward, an expert on whistleblowers has said.
More than 150 police officers are currently prevented from performing roles in which they are required to interact with the public while they remain.
Commissioner Mark Rowley, who also said vetting procedures were not efficient enough, told the BBC: "We’ve got some officers who we sacked, but other legal bodies, who have a power to reinstate them, did.
"So I’ve got officers who we determined shouldn’t be police officers and yet I have to keep them. It sounds bizarre – I’m the commissioner, yet I can’t decide who my own workforce is."
The Commissioner added "there are some very worrying cases" of officers who've committed crimes and yet he is unable to fire them, adding: "It's crazy."
Andrew Pepper-Parsons, Head of Policy at the charity Protect, told the Mirror that Rowley's comments were "brave" and "honest" but could lead to potential whistleblowers thinking there would be no point in blowing the whistle on wrongdoing.
He said: "I think what Commissioner Rowley said was very brave and very honest, it needs to be backed up by reform and the ability for the organisation to change its whistleblowing culture...
"I think blowers might look...
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