The Morris Inquiry is calling for root and branch reform of the way the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is managed. The independent inquiry, set up by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) to look into standards and employment matters in the MPS, makes its call in its report, The Case for Change, published on 14 December 2004. In launching the report, Sir Bill Morris, Chair of the Inquiry, said: “This is a radical and ground-breaking report setting out a reforming pathway to change both within the MPS and nationally”.

Its main recommendations are:

• New employment rights for police officers
• Replacing outdated regulations on police discipline and conduct with a modern disciplinary procedure
• A fundamental review of how the MPS investigates complaints against its officers
• Greater scrutiny of the MPS’s work by the Police Authority
• The development of a new approach to managing diversity in the MPS
• The elimination of management practice which discriminates against black and minority officers
• A new procedure for dealing with disputes in the workplace with a greater focus on early resolution
• Improving the quality of management including the recruitment of suitably experienced individuals to join the police service at senior levels
• A new senior management police staff post at Deputy Commissioner level to co-ordinate and deliver all support services within the MPS.

Chair of the Inquiry, Sir Bill Morris, said:“The Inquiry examined how the MPS handles complaints, grievances, allegations against individuals and conflict within the workplace. Our focus was the MPS as an organisation and not the individuals who make up that organisation.

“Although we have considered discrimination issues as part of our work, and some of our recommendations focus on the way in which black and ethnic minority officers and staff are treated and managed, our terms of reference were much wider than race discrimination.

“The common theme that ran throughout the Inquiry’s work was that ‘people issues’ do not seem to be accorded the prominence they deserve. This manifests itself in a number of ways and our recommendations are designed to tackle these issues and introduce a stronger focus on people into the organisation.”

The inquiry was launched on January 21 2004 and spent six months gathering evidence. It received over 1,400 documents and heard oral evidence from 109 people over 31 days. The Inquiry visited police services in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as London police stations and held a forum for 40 MPS women officers and staff.

Sir Bill added: “We hope our report makes a positive contribution to improving professional standards and workplace relationships, and, by extension, the quality of policing in London.”

Click here to download the full Morris Inquiry Report (1.5MB, )
Click here to download the Morris Inquiry Summary (163Kb, )

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