Dear Partner,
I am writing to you today to ensure our condemnation of the appalling criminality of David Carrick, one of the most serious cases in the Met’s history, is as clear to you as it can be. I also want to explain how the Met is changing to ensure patterns of abusive and exploitative behaviour like his, cannot go unchecked again.
David Carrick, a police officer with our Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command, appeared at Southwark Crown Court today and entered guilty pleas to false imprisonment, indecent assault and four counts of rape. At a previous hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 13 December he had pleaded guilty to 43 offences including 20 counts of rape, and further counts of controlling and coercive behaviour and sexual assault. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a hearing to take place at Southwark Crown Court beginning on Monday, 6 February.
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met’s lead for Professionalism, said: “On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I want to apologise to the women who have suffered at the hands of David Carrick. I commend their outstanding bravery in coming forward and reporting the horrific crimes they were victims of.
“Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of many years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes. He has devastated women’s lives. He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. He has devastated colleagues.”
AC Gray added that Carrick had used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims and that they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed. She also stated that the Met should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.
After Carrick was charged with rape in October 2021, the Met began a thorough review of his service, his conduct and complaints record, any occasions on which he had come to the notice of the police and his vetting. It was established that he was on police systems in relation to a number of off duty incidents both before and after his employment as a police officer. These incidents were in the Met’s force area and in those of other forces.
With the exception of his arrest in October 2021, none of these incidents resulted in any criminal sanction at the time. However, when the overall case history is examined now in detail, it reveals a pattern of behaviour that should have raised concerns regardless of the outcome of individual incidents.
AC Gray added: “The duration and nature of Carrick’s offending is unprecedented in policing. But regrettably he is not the only Met officer to have been charged with serious sexual offences in the recent past. Our work to identify and rid the Met of corrupt officers is determined and focussed.
“As the Commissioner has said, we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who are engaged in corrupt or criminal behaviour using all the available tactics and techniques at our disposal.”
How we are strengthening our anti-corruption systems: Following the recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and the interim findings of the Baroness Casey review, the Met has invested millions of pounds and brought in over 400 additional officers and staff to identify and investigate offenders within the police service. This work includes the following new steps.
- A dedicated Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offending investigation team has been set up with over 50 experienced investigators targeting any officer or staff member who may be engaged in domestic abuse or sexual offences.
- All current officers and staff who have previously been the subject of allegations of sexual offending or domestic abuse, where allegations couldn’t be proven and were not subject of misconduct hearings, are subject to an ongoing review.
- A new Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command is proactively investigating and identifying officers and staff who abuse their positions of trust whether on duty or off duty, in person or online.
- Significant investment in intelligence capabilities and in the skills of specialist investigators.
- A thorough audit of national police databases, to identify intelligence and information about officers and staff that may not be known by the organisation, is under way.
- An internal appeal is asking Met officers and staff to report corruption and abuse and for the first time in policing, an anti-corruption and abuse hotline has been launched, in partnership with Crimestoppers, where the public can anonymously report Met officers and staff who abuse their positions of power and trust.
We know that we have much work to do in order to earn the trust lost through the actions of officers like David Carrick. Work to raise standards and improve the culture of the Met are a key part of the Commissioner’s Turnaround Plan which he launched last week and which will be published in the coming days. We are determined to create a Met that can deliver More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards for London.
Kind regards
Chief Inspector Russ Joao
Chief Inspector | Neighbourhoods | SE BCU
