We asked 100 women across London if they trust the Metropolitan Police - nearly half trust them less
Our survey also found that nearly half of women in Clapham don't always feel safe in the capital.
Last updated 3rd Mar 2024
Nearly half of women in London have less trust in the Metropolitan Police compared to a year ago, according to our own survey.
With today marking three years since the murder of Sarah Everard, we've been investigating how safe women feel in the capital.
Sarah Everard was walking home in South London, when she was abducted, raped and murdered by off-duty Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens back in March 2021.
Couzens had used police-issue equipment to falsely arrest her.
The first report from an inquiry investigating how it happened has been published this week - saying that Couzens "should never have been a police officer" and that “there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight” without a significant upheaval.
The report has called for a "radical overhaul” of police vetting and recruitment, and for a fundamental change to police response to indecent exposure.
In the survey, we spoke to 200 women in total - asking 100 of them whether they have more or less faith in the Met. The research took place across various parts of the capital.
Our research found that - when asked whether they trusted the Metropolitan Police more or less than a year ago, 46 of them said they trusted them less.
21 women said that they trusted them more, with a third of them (33) stating that their level of trust was about the same.
We then headed to Clapham, where we asked 100 women in the South West London district whether they feel safe in London.
54 of them told us that they did feel safe in London, 20 said they don't feel safe, and 26 said it depends on the area and the time. Therefore, nearly half of women (46) in the South London borough told us that they don't feel safe or don't always feel safe.
"I don't feel particularly safe"
Siobhan told us that she feels safer in busier parts of London. "I don't feel too safe in London, it depends on where I am. If I'm on my own, I don't feel particularly safe.
"I actually feel more safe in the centre of London then I do in Zone Two or Three, maybe that's quite normal I don't know."
She went on to tell us that she would trust the Metropolitan Police if she had a problem.
"I would say that I trust the police...I would feel my issues were heard and could be solved in some way."
Hannah explained that she didn't always feel comfortable in Clapham, despite feeling safe when she first moved there.
"The Met Police have absolutely no understanding of the reality of the situation for women"
"Clapham in the day I feel safe, but at night, I don't. I thought it was a safe place when I moved here and then I think you have more and more experiences that make you feel less and less safe.
"Definitely safety in numbers, when you're on your own, you're like 'no', but if you're with a couple of friends you feel ok."
A woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, told us that she doesn't trust individual officers as much after what happened to Sarah.
“Basically it's a no (trust them less) but only because overall I trust the police the same as before Sarah Everard and now as an institution, but saying that I'm more likely to not trust individual police officers, or at least now know to not blindly trust a solo officer just because they were a uniform.
"The Met Police have absolutely no understanding of the reality of the situation for women, and it does not feel enough concrete changes have been made to rectify this."
Rebecca Goshawk is the Head of Public Affairs and Partnerships at Solace Women's Aid, a London-based charity that helps women affected by abuse. She said that the Metropolitan Police could do more to help women.
"I think a couple of years ago we were hearing a lot about 'a few bad apples', there is a recognition in the Metropolitan Police that this is more than that. This is a culture that we're having around misogyny and there's a level of impunity that officers operate under and there is a need to tackle that.
"They are looking at their vetting processes, looking at how misconduct takes place - but I think importantly for us we want to see the improved day-to-day support that women get. We still have women who go to the police and don't feel believed, don't feel that there case is taken seriously, and we need to see that changing."
Politicians across the capital react
Bell Ribeiro Addy, said that she thinks police forces could do more. Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, the Clapham and Brixton Hill MP said that vetting within the force is crucial.
"What this case brought to the fore was the systemic and cultural issues that exist in the police service."
"I don't think police have necessarily done enough to address the issues when it comes to vetting and recruitment. I understand they're doing a lot of work now and they're looking to route people out who really shouldn't be police officers.
"Obviously the community are going to be shocked that those that hold us to account as the public on a number of different laws - those whose job it is to make sure we abide by those rules are not being vetted and checked by the same rules themselves. That doesn't make any sense to anybody."
When asked by Greatest Hits Radio whether he thinks London is safer for women now compared to 2021, the Mayor Of London said that there's still work to do.
"What this case brought to the fore was the systemic and cultural issues that exist in the police service. Poor vetting, poor leadership.
"I've supported the new commissioner in reforming the police service. I don't think it's mission accomplished, I think there's still a long way to go."
"We've got to make sure that London has the police service we deserve."
Labour have also announced plans to give every police officer training to combat violence against women should they get into power, with shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper saying that there is an "urgent need" for change. You can read more about the plan by clicking here.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said that "Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed."
He added that "huge strides" have been made to "clean up" the police force - and that they "we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls".
Met Police Commissioner: "We must go further and faster" to earn back trust
The Metropolitan Police have released a statement, responding to the first report in the inquiry into Sarah's murder which was published this week.
Within the statement, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the report as an "urgent call to action" for everyone in policing, and said that change would "take time" despite the "significant progress that they had made across the past year.
“There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are.
“Wayne Couzens’ crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in.
“The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. We must go further and faster, to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years.
“Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.”
The National Police Chief Council have also responded to the report, with Chief Constable Gavin Stephens telling senior police officers that "we must do everything humanly possible to enact these recommendations and change policing for future generations."
Chief Constable Stephens went on to say that they are "taking action to ensure there is nowhere to hide in policing for wrongdoers, that our misconduct and vetting processes are reformed, and that our ethics and values are reset.