London police force says it will take years to root out bad cops

LONDON (AP) — London’s police force says that over 1,000 officers are currently suspended or on restricted duties as the department steps up efforts to root out bad cops following a scathing report that found it was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said it will take years for the Metropolitan Police Service to get rid of officers who have breached standards or weren’t properly vetted before they were hired, with about 60 officers facing disciplinary hearings each month.

“This is going to take one, two or more years to root out those who are corrupt,” Cundy said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The figures were released a year after Commissioner Mark Rowley took over leadership of the Met, pledging to reform a force that had been rocked by a series of scandals, including the arrest of a serving officer for the kidnap and murder of a young woman.

In March, the police force apologized after an independent review found that the department had lost the confidence of the public because of deep-seated racism, misogyny and homophobia.

The force has about 34,000 officers. The figures show 201 are suspended and about 860 are on restricted duties.