The Metropolitan Police has been placed in special measures by a watchdog.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said the force was now being monitored through a process that “provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements”.
Only three other forces in England and Wales are in the same category - Greater Manchester Police, Cleveland Police and Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Official guidance says the process is used “if a force is not responding to a cause of concern, or if it is not succeeding in managing, mitigating or eradicating the cause of concern”.
Scotland Yard will be ordered to develop an “improvement plan” to address the issues identified by the inspectorate and may receive support from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing.
The full report detailing the watchdog’s reason for the rare step has not been published, but it follows several scandals over crimes committed by officers, including the murder of Sarah Everard.
The killing of Zara Aleena, a 35-year-old court administrator who was attacked while walking home from a night out in Ilford, has drawn fresh focus to the protection of women.
Revelations over sexist and racist behaviour at Charing Cross police station led to the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick in February, amid a row with London mayor Sadiq Khan.
Her successor has not yet been appointed by Priti Patel, who has instigated inquiries into the circumstances of Dame Cressida’s resignation, the murder of Ms Everard and wider issues - including vetting - in policing.
On Thursday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it was reopening its probe into Scotland Yard’s handling of a serial killer who targeted gay men.
Last year, an inquest found that failings by officers over the death of Stephen Port’s first victim probably contributed to the deaths of three others, because he was not caught. The IOPC is also examining the Metropolitan Police over a string of cases where children were strip-searched by officers.
A spokesperson for HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said: “We can confirm that we are now monitoring the Metropolitan Police Service through our Engage process, which provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements.”
