Response from Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy following release of Baroness Casey's review

The release of Baroness Casey’s Review into the standards of behaviour and internal culture at the Metropolitan Police will have far reaching and long-term effects on police forces and undoubtedly cause concern for the wider public.

Not only will it impact on how members of the public view and interact with police officers across the UK, it will also have a huge impact on all serving police officers and staff.

As Chief Constable of Merseyside Police I am proud to lead a police force that is committed to protecting and serving our communities.

I always expect the highest professional standards of conduct and behaviour from all my officers and staff and in return for this they have my support and gratitude for the hard work, courage and commitment they display on a daily basis.

I want the people of Merseyside to have confidence in our force, to trust us, and to know we are working hard to deliver the best possible service to them. Inclusion is a priority for Merseyside Police and we have a dedicated programme of work to ensure that everyone, inside and outside the organisation, feels represented, supported and treated with courtesy and respect.

Alongside all police chiefs I have committed to delivering the Police Race Action Plan, which aims to address race disparities, and I am committed to delivering our force action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, in line with the national violence against women and girls framework, so that keeping women and girls safe, and feeling safe, remains at the forefront of our work.

Following a number of shocking incidents nationally, involving serving police officers, it is right that policing standards continue to be in the spotlight and that we constantly review our recruitment and vetting processes, and continue to embed our force leadership framework, to ensure that we are recruiting the right people and that all officers and staff are aware of the standards expected of them. We are also delivering action in response to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) review on vetting and misconduct. 

Unacceptable behaviour will be rooted out and I encourage all my officers and members of staff to feel empowered to challenge any such behaviour they witness, so it can be addressed and any necessary action taken.

It is important that our officers and staff, together with members of the public, feel supported when they come forward and that we offer them easy ways to talk to us about any concerns, such as our Call it Out tool and the Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line.

It is also important that we are transparent and accountable, through the publicising of our misconduct hearings, when we have identified that officers and staff have acted in a way that is not in keeping with our expected standards.

Through the force’s Professional Standards Department we are proactive in investigating anyone believed to be involved in gross misconduct and removing them so they no longer represent the organisation.  I am also working with other Chief Constables across the UK to better identify wrongdoing by reviewing all current allegations of sexual misconduct fully and quickly, strengthening vetting and misconduct investigations and toughening sanctions to make sure they meet the gravity of offences committed.

Trust and confidence is essential to allow us to police effectively and I know that showing the work we are doing across the force goes a long way to building that trust, both from the public and staff.

But action is equally important, and I know that the people of Merseyside want us to continue to make improvements.

The Baroness Casey report is a substantial and very important report.  We will take time to consider its findings and recommendations to explore what they mean for us and identify what we can learn and any action we need to take to enhance our ongoing work.

It is vitally important that we continue to learn and develop but I want our communities to be reassured that my officers and staff are committed to ensuring Merseyside remains a safe place to live, work and socialise.