Police Now responds to the conviction of former Metropolitan Police Service officer

“The horrific actions of David Carrick - spanning two decades - are a complete disgrace, have shamed the service and damaged the public’s trust in policing again. The bravery of the victims in coming forward and the impact of Carrick’s actions and the actions of those like him cannot be underestimated.

“Officers that commit crimes, especially those that are serious, repeated and extend for years, betray everything that policing stands for, let down all good, honest police officers and police staff members everywhere, and destroy the confidence of the very people they swore to protect – the public.

“Every corrupt police officer removed and jailed is a step towards police forces that are organisationally just. And when police forces have a culture of organisational justice inside the police station, they will be procedurally just in their dealings with the public out on the street. In this way, policing will win back public trust.

“Police Now continues to work towards this goal, as we have done for nearly a decade. But progress is too slow. We call on every part of policing to make evicting the criminals in our midst and transforming policing culture for the better their number one priority. To be genuinely open, at every level, to doing things differently. There can only be one number one priority, and this must be it.

“If we lose the trust of the public, progress against every other policing priority – whether it is protecting the vulnerable, bringing offenders to justice, countering terrorism and extremism, or filling the gaps between other public services – will stall.

“We also implore our fellow citizens – those with the values, integrity, resilience, courage and public service ethos to find and root out the criminals inside as well as outside policing – to join us. Don’t give up on your police service. Be the change that is needed. It will not be easy. But it is possible. And it is necessary. Together, we can do it.”