Stephen Lawrence's mum voices alarm over slow action on criminal cops
Stephen Lawrence's mum has blasted the Government over the slow pace of reform to tackle police officers who commit serious crimes.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence says existing processes are "inconsistent and confusing" but it is taking too long to make changes.
In April Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said it was "nonsensical" that he can't sack police officers, and that hundreds of corrupt officers shouldn't be in the job.
In a letter to Suella Braverman, Baroness Lawrence said: "I remain profoundly concerned about the slow pace of reforms to the national regulations, and I believe this concern is shared across the political spectrum.
"Vital changes to the legislative framework are needed to empower Police Chiefs and give them the tools they need to take fair and effective action to remove anyone falling short of the high standards the public rightly expect of the Police.
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"I firmly believe that police accountability should not take place behind closed doors, and I hope you would agree."
Baroness Lawrence has written to Suella Braverman calling for reform to be sped up (Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)Baroness Lawrence said urgent reforms are needed for the force to truly reform and to gain the public's trust and confidence.
A package of reforms ready to be introduced to Parliament includes automatically dismissing a serving officer who is convicted of a serious criminal offence, automatically suspending an officer charged with a serious criminal offence, and automatically dismissing a serving officer who fails vetting.
Baroness Lawrence says she supports the measures.
Other reforms include giving chief constables the power to reopen misconduct investigations and introducing a Duty of Candour - forcing officers to proactively report any known wrongdoing.
Baroness Lawrence concluded her letter by saying: "Together we can fundamentally improve the police disciplinary and performance processes, and I urge you to support these important measures.
Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered by a group of white teenagers in April 1993 (PA)"I have sadly felt the institutional failings of the Metropolitan Police Service first-hand, and we must work together so other Londoners are not failed by those who seek to protect them."
Mr Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993, and the police handling of the investigation has cast a shadow over the Met for 30 years.
Only two of his killers have faced justice - Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally jailed for life in 2012.
Last month, the BBC named a sixth suspect in the case for the first time, a man called Matthew White, and outlined the bungled handling of the evidence against him.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "As I have been saying for some time current legislation simply isn't fit for purpose when it comes to rooting out and dismissing corrupt police officers.
"Powers to swiftly dismiss officers who fall short of the high standards expected by the public will be key to restoring trust and faith in the police.
"As Doreen Lawrence has outlined it is absolutely crucial that the scale of police reform is bold and far-reaching. That's exactly why Harriet Harman and I have brought forward draft legislation that would see those convicted of a serious criminal offence be automatically dismissed with a new Duty of Candour brought in requiring officers to proactively report wrongdoing.
"Government proposals promised long ago still haven't materialised. The public and those thousands of decent officers are being let down in the meantime.
"To implement the radical changes we need in police forces across the country, there is simply no time for further dither and delay."
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