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

Author: Nusrit Mehtab

Narrator: Shaheen Khan

Unabridged: 8 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/04/2024


Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

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, Law and Disorder shines the light on an institution that has lost sight of it’s mission to protect us and pleads the case for a brighter and safer future.

©2024 Nusrit Mehtab (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Reviews

Goodreads review by Leni on July 03, 2025

An enthralling read from start to finish. A varied, challenging, and fascinating career, from a tough and feisty officer.......more

Goodreads review by Tony on November 23, 2024

Addressing a falsehood Nusrit Mehtab is not an anonymous social media voice but someone who has risen through the ranks of the Met despite severe opposition. What she has to say about policing and the inherent racism/sexism/homophobia to be found therein is based on over thirty years experience. The......more

Goodreads review by Sean on September 02, 2025

A powerful autobiography of a senior officer in the Met Police This is a powerful autobiography book of a Met Police officer of her 30 years in the MPS. I have to confess that was shocking and left me numb in believing what Nusrit experience was something that was set in the 20th century and not rec......more

Goodreads review by Radhika on September 14, 2024

As a POC hoping to go into policing, this was a hard read. Nusrit’s account of her time was brave and empowering, and I agree with a previous review that I don’t know how she stayed as long as she did! Whatever your opinions on policing, I think this was a really important account of the kinds of th......more

Goodreads review by Linda on November 04, 2024

Nusrit's experiences are disgusting but unfortunately not surprising. This women has such resilience and strength for not only staying as long as she did, but for having the courage to speak up about injustices as she experienced them. I am sorry for the difficulties you have faced, and will ultimat......more


Quotes

‘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’ Mail on Sunday

'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.