To feel a bit bad for the met police on bbc panorama undercover

YABU. Every one of those with their faces shown made disgusting comments and, even worse, reference to causing actual physical harm to people they had detained, including a 17 year old with Autism. My only sympathy sits with their female colleagues, their female victims and suspects from ethnic minority backgrounds for whom they applied their own ‘justice’, before collection of evidence and trial. Their behaviour is frightening and public shaming is the least they deserve. The documentary also highlighted examples of very good, compassionate, lawful policing. It’s excellent journalism, exploring depths of culture that the Met would never be able to truly explore.

YABU to feel sorry for them. All of the officers featured chose to spew their racist/ sexist opinions. Yes, the Met is institutionally racist and misogynist, and many police stations are pretty toxic workplaces, but an individual officer (or civilian employee) doesn't have to go along with crappy behaviour to the extent shown in the documentary. They could instead try to change the culture, uphold the law, show compassion towards victims of crime and refuse to go along with the bullies.

I'm.not sorry. One was recorded saying an immigrant should be shot and allowed to die.

We have 2 very senior police officers in our friendship group (friends with us only because of their wives). This programme did not surprise me in the least. I’ve heard far, far worse from both of them.

having their faces, names and secretly recorded conversations, sometimes even off duty over a pint broadcast feels like a bit of a violation of privacy.

Handy hint: if you're not happy to have your name attached to it, don't fucking say it.

The end and worst possible result of these creatures going unchallenged is cases like Sarah Everards. A culture of sexual harassment, misogyny and rape myths. Racism and hatred, violence and thuggery.

How anyone can make any excuse for this is just beyond me.

A little power is such a dangerous thing, and power corrupts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgq06d44jyo

Article - video clips also prominent on BBC news page.

Vile behaviour, of course they should be exposed! I worry more for the undercover guy and his safety going forward. Shame missed the last 10mins due to a tech issue

They are the police. One group of people you’d expect to behave in a civilised manner. You feel sorry for the racist misogynists? Fucking hell

DH’s oldest friend joined the Met. When his friend was getting married, DH went on the stag. He’s never regretted anything more in his life. A whole weekend away with sexist misogynistic pigs. DH had no idea his friend was anything like that until he saw him with his work colleagues and they had been friends since they were small children. It’s endemic and it needs to be brought out in the open.

And look, I’m an investment banker. We’re loathed as a demographic post the financial crisis. The culture in our industry had to change and it really has. Nobody in my sector behaves in the way we did pre financial crisis - on camera or off camera. It wouldn’t bother me if Panorama filmed my team meetings undercover, all they would hear is ‘is that fair, should we check with compliance, are we being transparent?’

Deeply inappropriate comments. Lots of sexual comments about people in custody / victims. One case on the BBC website shows a sergeant disbelieve someone reporting rape and domestic abuse. She reported her abuser had kicked her in the stomach. According to another officer in the video who was unhappy with the decision to bail the person accused the woman had an obvious footprint on her stomach, corroborating her claims.

This is good journalism. They have only shown those who were abusing positions of trust and did so repeatedly.

Culture is sustained by individuals going along with it and not challenging so yes, they are individually accountable for their own behaviour. Dark humour is too often used as a thin veil for discrimination and disrespect particularly of people who are incredibly vulnerable for various reasons. The police are public servants, they have a code of ethics which include integrity and respect - I very much doubt the people involved didn’t know what they were saying was, at best inappropriate. Whether they should be made publicly identifiable is I guess challenging but it does shine a light on a work culture that impacts the public they are meant to serve. I don’t have much sympathy.

AIBU to feel uncomfortable about it?

Why? They've been exposed as racist mysoginist creeps.

These are people we are paying our taxes for! FFS.

Good on the BBC for exposing them.

Really? Have you forgotten Sarah Everard? The Met Police have a rotten to the core culture and it seems they don’t really care and have done nothing to address it. If that’s been exposed (again) I’m all for it.

What are the police recorded as saying?