Race discrimination employment tribunal claims brought by Metropolitan Police officers and staff more than doubled in the last financial year, reaching the highest level in five years, according to data released under a Freedom of Information request.
The figures show a 108% increase in racism-related claims in 2023-24 compared with the previous year. The data covers new claims lodged between 2019 and 2024 in which race discrimination or racism was cited, with the steepest rise recorded in the most recent period.
Leroy Logan, a former Met superintendent, said he had been contacted by serving officers who feel they are facing increased disciplinary action. He suggested the Directorate of Professional Standards was targeting Black staff to help generate dismissal figures underpinning the Met’s public drive against misconduct. “They’re not being as objective as they should be. Consequently, Black officers – African, Caribbean and Asian officers – are being more focused on than white officers,” he said.
The rise in claims follows sustained scrutiny of the Met’s internal culture, including the Casey review and the 30 Patterns of Harm review, which concluded that anti-Black racism is “baked into institutional design”. The Met said it was working to improve internal culture, recruitment and promotion processes, but acknowledged that rebuilding culture “takes time”.
A Met spokesperson said: “We have been clear we have much more to do to tackle the systemic, cultural, leadership and regulatory failings that have allowed racism to put down deep roots in the Met. We want to be an anti-racist and actively inclusive organisation.” The force denied allegations of targeting Black staff while protecting white colleagues, but admitted there is disproportionality in misconduct processes.
