A stark admission of systemic failures has emerged from the Metropolitan Police's highest echelons. Paul Condon, former Commissioner between 1993 and 2000, has told a public inquiry that the force failed for decades to adequately oversee its Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), which spied on political activists for an astonishing 40 years.
Lord Condon, the first serving police chief to give evidence to the inquiry, expressed his 'appalled' reaction to the 'horrendous' abuses committed by undercover officers. While he acknowledged that individual officers engaged in 'appalling behaviours', he firmly placed the blame on the Met's systemic inability to rigorously supervise the unit.
The SDS, which operated between 1968 and 2008, saw officers assume false identities to infiltrate left-wing groups for deployments lasting up to four years. The inquiry is scrutinising a wide range of misconduct, including instances where officers deceived women into long-term relationships, fathered children, stole the identities of deceased children, and spied on bereaved families seeking justice.
Lord Condon offered a heartfelt apology 'for every single person who has been damaged by the actions of officers in the special demonstration squad over the decades'. He reiterated his shock at the revelations uncovered by the inquiry, stating that the Met as a whole bore responsibility for not providing sufficient limits and ethical guidance. This lack of oversight could lead even those with a strong moral compass to 'succumb to baser instincts'.
Notably, Lord Condon maintained he was unaware of the specific abuses during his tenure as Commissioner. He claimed junior officers had assured him that the SDS was a well-regarded unit, properly supervised and ethically managed. He also denied receiving surveillance reports on the Stephen Lawrence family campaign, despite an undercover officer's claims to the contrary.