Former Met police chief admits surveillance of Stephen Lawrence’s family was institutionally racist

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Condon admitted to a public inquiry Tuesday that surveillance of the Stephen Lawrence family by undercover officers in the 1990s was institutionally racist. Condon, who led the Met during the period, acknowledged the force failed to properly control the Special Demonstration Squad, which spied on Stephen Lawrence's parents as they campaigned for a proper murder investigation, and said the unit committed "horrendous" abuses over four decades. The inquiry is examining widespread misconduct including undercover officers deceiving women into relationships, stealing dead children's identities, and lying in court.