The decision was taken by the Police Inspectorate of His Majesty and after an extensive inspection which found significant failures. The results of this inspection are expected to be made public soon. In a statement, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I expect the police to get the basics right. It is clear that the Metropolitan Police Department is falling short of these expectations, which is why I support the action taken by HMICFRS today to highlight their failures – and I expect the Met and the Mayor of London to take immediate action to begin face. “The process of hiring a new commissioner is well under way and I have made it clear that the successful candidate must make continuous improvements to the Metropolitan Police in order to regain the trust of the public both in London and throughout the country.” In a statement, the police inspectorate confirmed the special measures for the Met to provide “additional control and support to help make improvements”. The Guardian understands that the process of special measures has already begun. The scandals include the Sarah Everard case where an acting officer kidnapped and killed her, as well as cases of arrest and investigation such as that of athlete Bianca Williams. The Home Secretary has some responsibility for the Met and London Mayor Sadiq Khan is the police and crime commissioner for London. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST In a statement, Khan said: “HMIC has expressed very serious concerns about the performance of the Met and I welcome the additional scrutiny and support that these measures will now bring. Unlike many others, I have long made it clear that large-scale reforms are urgently needed to restore the Met to the confidence and trust of Londoners – something that is so vital to consensual policing. “A series of horrific scandals have not only revealed deep cultural problems, but have damaged Londoners’ confidence in the capital’s police service. “HMIC’s decision to now move the Met to special measures has revealed significant power failure.” In February, Cressida Dick resigned as Met commissioner after failing to convince Khan that she could lead the power out of a series of scandals and overturn a drop in public confidence.
