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Metropolitan police TV series won't be puff piece, commissioner says Metropolitan police TV series won't be puff piece, commissioner says
(35 minutes later)
Britain’s top police officer said he wanted a new reality series about the Metropolitan police to get away from the cop show cliches of “macho” commentaries and endless scenes of doors being kicked in.Britain’s top police officer said he wanted a new reality series about the Metropolitan police to get away from the cop show cliches of “macho” commentaries and endless scenes of doors being kicked in.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, is the subject of a BBC1 fly-on-the-wall documentary series starting this Monday in a prime time slot.Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, is the subject of a BBC1 fly-on-the-wall documentary series starting this Monday in a prime time slot.
Writing in the Guardian, Hogan-Howe says the series will not be a puff piece for the Met, and that Britain’s biggest force had not tried to control the content fearing that “would result in a negative response from the audience”.Writing in the Guardian, Hogan-Howe says the series will not be a puff piece for the Met, and that Britain’s biggest force had not tried to control the content fearing that “would result in a negative response from the audience”.
Related: 'There has never been a documentary about a police force on this scale'
The documentary series comes at a time of tumult for the Met and British policing.The documentary series comes at a time of tumult for the Met and British policing.
Hogan-Howe said this week his force expected to make another 15% of spending cuts by 2020, because of the Conservative government’s austerity programme. That comes on top of the same amount being cut from 2010 to 2015, and fears within the force that a cut of nearly one third in a decade will cause services to suffer, especially without radical reforms.Hogan-Howe said this week his force expected to make another 15% of spending cuts by 2020, because of the Conservative government’s austerity programme. That comes on top of the same amount being cut from 2010 to 2015, and fears within the force that a cut of nearly one third in a decade will cause services to suffer, especially without radical reforms.
Scandals have blighted its reputation, from undercover police spies duping women and even having children with them, to claims of systemic racial bias, and the Plebgate saga, in which officers were sacked for leaking alleged details about the former Tory cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell’s conduct towards an officer at the Downing Street gate.Scandals have blighted its reputation, from undercover police spies duping women and even having children with them, to claims of systemic racial bias, and the Plebgate saga, in which officers were sacked for leaking alleged details about the former Tory cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell’s conduct towards an officer at the Downing Street gate.
As well as criticism from some community groups, the alleged failings have been highlighted by the home secretary, Theresa May, as underlining the urgency for police reform.As well as criticism from some community groups, the alleged failings have been highlighted by the home secretary, Theresa May, as underlining the urgency for police reform.
In a piece on why he agreed to give the BBC access to the force, Hogan-Howe : “Too often we have been characterised by the failures of a few rather than the successes of the many. We know that the vast majority of those serving in the Met display our values of integrity, courage, compassion and professionalism. We had to be confident that the cameras – if they were truly documenting the Met – would capture that.”In a piece on why he agreed to give the BBC access to the force, Hogan-Howe : “Too often we have been characterised by the failures of a few rather than the successes of the many. We know that the vast majority of those serving in the Met display our values of integrity, courage, compassion and professionalism. We had to be confident that the cameras – if they were truly documenting the Met – would capture that.”
He said the series was the result of the “the most comprehensive access to the Met that any broadcaster has ever been granted”.He said the series was the result of the “the most comprehensive access to the Met that any broadcaster has ever been granted”.
Senior Met insiders have already seen the five-part series and such is the force’s comfort level with it that a promotional poster for the documentaries was put up this week in the main entrance area at Scotland Yard’s central London headquarters.Senior Met insiders have already seen the five-part series and such is the force’s comfort level with it that a promotional poster for the documentaries was put up this week in the main entrance area at Scotland Yard’s central London headquarters.
Hogan-Howe said he wanted the series about the Met to be different to other cop shows: “Often they are after the same thing – cops banging in doors, charging around with their blue lights on and a macho commentary. These can be entertaining and get enough viewers to encourage endless repeats but I feel they are short on the informative side.Hogan-Howe said he wanted the series about the Met to be different to other cop shows: “Often they are after the same thing – cops banging in doors, charging around with their blue lights on and a macho commentary. These can be entertaining and get enough viewers to encourage endless repeats but I feel they are short on the informative side.
“The easy option would be to avoid granting access to anything more difficult than that. Let’s carry on doing shows now and again, usually with the word cops in the title, which show arrest after arrest and little else.”“The easy option would be to avoid granting access to anything more difficult than that. Let’s carry on doing shows now and again, usually with the word cops in the title, which show arrest after arrest and little else.”
He added: “I can hardly complain that the public are not given the opportunity to understand policing if we don’t open up our doors. Ultimately we have to take the responsibility for unlocking that understanding and here was an opportunity.”He added: “I can hardly complain that the public are not given the opportunity to understand policing if we don’t open up our doors. Ultimately we have to take the responsibility for unlocking that understanding and here was an opportunity.”
The publicly funded broadcaster fought off three other programme makers to win access: “The feeling was the BBC had put the most thought in to how they would capture a 24/7 police service taking 4.5m calls and employing over 45,000 people.”The publicly funded broadcaster fought off three other programme makers to win access: “The feeling was the BBC had put the most thought in to how they would capture a 24/7 police service taking 4.5m calls and employing over 45,000 people.”
The first programme is scheduled to feature the case of Mark Duggan as senior officers wait for a verdict from an inquest jury into the 2011 shooting that triggered the worst riots in modern English history.The first programme is scheduled to feature the case of Mark Duggan as senior officers wait for a verdict from an inquest jury into the 2011 shooting that triggered the worst riots in modern English history.
The series comes at a tense time in the relationship between the Met and the media. Top officers have been accused of targeting whistleblowers, reducing the amount they are held to account by the news media, and pursuing criminal cases against journalists who have paid public officials for stories.The series comes at a tense time in the relationship between the Met and the media. Top officers have been accused of targeting whistleblowers, reducing the amount they are held to account by the news media, and pursuing criminal cases against journalists who have paid public officials for stories.
The reforms came after Lord Leveson’s inquiry, following the phone-hacking scandal, which called for reforms in police and press relationships.The reforms came after Lord Leveson’s inquiry, following the phone-hacking scandal, which called for reforms in police and press relationships.
Sir Bernard became commissioner of the Met in 2011. His two predecessors resigned before completing their terms.Sir Bernard became commissioner of the Met in 2011. His two predecessors resigned before completing their terms.
Sir Ian Blair was ousted in 2008 by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, and in 2011 Sir Paul Stephenson resigned amid the ructions from the phone hacking scandals and claims the force’s leadership was too close to elements of the press.Sir Ian Blair was ousted in 2008 by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, and in 2011 Sir Paul Stephenson resigned amid the ructions from the phone hacking scandals and claims the force’s leadership was too close to elements of the press.