The Metropolitan Police Federation has lashed out at Sadiq Khan after the Dame Cressida Dick was ousted from her role.
The commissioner suddenly resigned last week after being public questioned by the mayor of London following a string of controversies.
Home secretary Priti Patel – who will be tasked with finding a replacement – was said to have been blindsided by the shock move.
Despite the fact public trust in the Met is at an all time low, the head of the body which represents more than 31,000 rank-and-file officers slated Mr Khan for the move.
Ken Marsh accused politicians of using ‘policing and the career of the country’s most senior police leader to deflect from their own failings’.
He continued: This is not a move we take lightly. We have let the mayor’s office know in no uncertain terms how our brave and diligent colleagues deserve better.
‘The atmosphere amongst Metropolitan Police officers is horrendous – it’s rock bottom.
‘Officers in London feel saddened and angry that the commissioner Cressida Dick has been pushed out in the way she has.
‘She was reforming. She was changing. The culture is changing.
‘We are deeply disappointed with the actions of the mayor.’
‘The Federation will continue to speak up for these courageous colleagues.
‘They are being forgotten about by our elected mayor. Enough is enough. Officers have no faith in Sadiq Khan.’
Last month Metro.co.uk revealed a staff survey of Met officers found just 29% agreed ‘senior leaders inspire me about the future of the Met’, and less than a quarter thought recent organisational changes have been successful.
Boris Johnson has paid tribute to the outgoing commissioner’s ‘remarkable’ career and signalled he would play no role in the appointment process while under investigation over alleged lockdown breaches.
In a position later confirmed by a Downing Street spokesperson, the PM said: ‘I wouldn’t want any other issues to cloud what I think, overall, is very considerable record of public service.’
Last week home secretary Priti Patel warned the new Met chief must be prepared to tackle the ‘policing culture’ which has left the country’s biggest force reeling from a series of scandals.
Responding to Mr Marsh’s comments, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: ‘It is the mayor’s job to stand up for Londoners and hold the police to account on their behalf, as well as to support the police in bearing down on crime.
‘With trust in the police among Londoners shattered following a series of devastating scandals exposing evidence of racism, misogyny, homophobia, harassment and discrimination in the Met, it was the mayor’s view that a change of leadership was the only way to address this crisis in trust.
They said scandals have ‘tarnished the reputation of the police, which is so crucial to policing by consent’, adding: ‘Downplaying the scale of the change required is only going to hinder, not help, the vital process of restoring Londoners’ trust in the Met.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
from News – Metro https://ift.tt/dMywCxq
0 Comments