Off The Beat: My life as a brown, Muslim woman in the Met

If you can’t change a system from the inside, you have no choice but to try and change it from the outside. That act starts with telling my own story as a brown Muslim woman in the Met. 'A devastating critique of the Met' Mail on Sunday 'Nusrit Mehtab has gone through the Met like a force of nature…Her story is one worth reading.’ HH Wendy Joseph KC, author of Unlawful Killings ‘Off The Beat lifts the filthy carpets at the Met Police and shines a light on the darkness below. Gripping, fascinating and crucial to the future of UK policing.’ Alice Vinten, author of On the Line. ‘A disturbing account of institutionalised sexism and racism in the Metropolitan police told from the perspective of a tough and fiercely ambitious officer who strove to rise up through the ranks’ Harriet Wistrich, author of Sister in Law When Nusrit Mehtab joined the Metropolitan Police, the organization 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 subjected to cruel pranks. As the years passed and her seniority grew, Nusrit was dismayed to find that these problems got worse, not better. In this searing memoir, she recounts her thirty years in the Met and the appalling treatment she endured. Now lecturing young recruits in criminology and mentoring BAME officers, Nusrit is confident that we can mould the next generation to create a more inclusive police force, safer for both the officers and the public. Full of deeply shocking stories from the heart of the organization, Off the Beat shines a light on an institution that has lost sight of its mission to protect us and pleads the case for a brighter and safer future.

About the Author :
Nusrit Mehtab is a former police officer, at one point the most senior female Asian officer in the Metropolitan Police. In 2017 Mehtab instigated an employment tribunal against them for racism and misogyny, and soon after left the police force after 30 years of service. She is now a lecturer in criminology and criminal justice at the University of East London and also mentors many young recruits and BAME officers. She hopes to change the force from the inside.

Review :
‘Nusrit Mehtab has gone through the Met like a force of nature. She has not compromised. She has fought for what is right, both for others and for herself. Her story is one worth reading.’ ‘A devastating critique of the Met’ 'Off The Beat lifts the filthy carpets at the Met Police and shines a light on the darkness below, exposing the long-standing and deeply ingrained cultures of racism and sexism within the ranks. Nusrit's impactful story of her determination to rise through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police, despite her own colleagues trying to take her down at every turn, is both inspiring and shocking. At times hard to read, but a story that absolutely needs to be told. Gripping, fascinating and crucial to the future of UK policing.' ‘Off the Beat, provides a disturbing account of institutionalised sexism and racism in the Metropolitan police told from the perspective of a tough and fiercely ambitious East End working class brown muslim woman who strove to rise up through the ranks from PC to Superintendent, facing resistance from her peers and superiors at every step of the way. The message is clear, until leadership is held accountable, the police will never change.’ This book should be read required reading for anyone even tangentially involved with policing, change management or hiring practices. This memoir is a detailed examination of how the institutional racist and sexist culture at the Metropolitan Police defeated a brilliant and tenacious woman of colour trying to improve the service from the inside.