A progress review of the Metropolitan Police has opened a call for evidence after the damning Casey review revealed the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic.

The review, which has been jointly commissioned by the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, will be led by Dr Gillian Fairfield. Its’ purpose will be to assess the Met’s progress since the release of the damning Casey Report in 2023. The original report, led by Baroness Casey, was commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.

Following the interim report, Met Commissioner Mark Rowley accepted the conclusions in full and promised to ‘turn around the Met’. However, he refused to accept the term ‘institutional’ to describe the Met’s failings.

Since then there have been further scandals with BBC Panorama uncovering racism, misogyny and excessive use of force inside Charing Cross Police Station, while a report by Dr Shereen Daniels found racism and ‘anti-blackness’ were ‘systemic’ within the force.

The Casey Report recommended a review within two years to ensure the Met was reforming. The review was originally intended to begin in early 2025 but was delayed by a year, reportedly so the Met could have more time to implement Casey’s recommendations.

Dr Fairfield has urged victims and witnesses of crimes, as well as those who have been stopped and searched, to share their views and tell her whether they have experienced any change.

She will also consider whether the Metropolitan Police’s ‘fault lines’ have been ‘covered with paperwork, policies and strategies’.

Dr Fairfield has further said she ‘will be ruthless in following the evidence’ saying that ‘if we think not enough progress is being made we can provide solutions to help the Met move faster’.

Rowley has welcomed Dr Fairfield’s review and further said that he would ‘encourage anyone with experience of the Met to take part in this call for evidence. Your views will help us continue to improve’.

However, it has not been welcomed in all quarters with Andy George, chair of the National Black Police Association, saying in November that he feared it ‘might be another buying-time exercise’.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that ‘Dr Fairfield’s review will focus on the next steps of rebuilding public trust and confidence in the police. The voices of Londoners will be absolutely vital to this process, so we can build a police force that delivers for everyone.’