Off The Beat

Nusrit Mehtab's 30 years fighting against racism and misogyny in the Met police have made her uniquely placed to write this brave and insightful memoir of a deeply flawed institution and how we can fix it.

When Nusrit Mehtab joined the Met Police in the late 80s the organisation was rife with racism and misogyny. Officers refused to patrol with her, or even call her by her name. Her attempts to get promoted were met with hostility and ridicule and she was subject to cruel pranks.

As the years passed and her seniority grew, Nusrit was dismayed to find that these problems got worse, not better. After 30 years, she finally had enough and left the MET, initiating an employment tribunal against them in the process. Now lecturing new recruits in policing law and criminology, she's confident that we can mould the next generation of officers to create a more inclusive police force, safer for both the officers and the public.

Full of gritty and shocking stories from the heart of the organisation, Off the Beat shines the light on an institution that has lost sight of its mission to protect us and pleads the case for a brighter and safer future.