Page 3 Profile: Carol Howard, diplomatic protection police officer

With all that weaponry, it looks like something serious has taken place…

It has been alleged that Scotland Yard has racially discriminated against Carol Howard, a 34-year-old diplomatic protection officer. Ms Howard, who has served for more than 10 years, is suing the Met for holding back her career. The case will go to an employment tribunal next month.

But is racism still an issue at Scotland Yard?

According to its black and Asian officers, yes it is. Last year, 20 years after the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence, the Metropolitan Black Police Association said that the service remained “institutionally racist.” Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, however, says that he will become the “implacable enemy” of racists within the organisation. He rebutted accusations of racism last year: “I think there is lots of evidence to say it isn’t true and that we’re actually doing a pretty good job and we are improving all the time.”

Sounds like Carol Howard doesn’t agree…

Not at all. Ms Howard, a firearms officer with the elite unit Diplomatic Protection Group, which handles security for senior politicians, and important government and diplomatic buildings, says she has been actively stifled by a senior male DPG officer. Ironically, in 2012, she said the police’s bad reputation “comes down to public perception” and that “a lot of people who say they’ve had problems with the police haven’t actually had a personal incident, it’s just something they’ve heard about.”

And this will be just another thing that people hear about…

The Met’s reputation is getting worse. This discrimination suit comes days after two officers were sacked for their involvement in the Plebgate scandal, and only months after three other were dismissed over claims they exchanged “extreme pornography” on their mobile phones. The PR nightmare continues…