The Guardian view on the Met commissioner: clear it up – or clear out
Many people will share the mayor of London’s anger and disgust at the Metropolitan police’s glaring failures, including some within the service itself. On Wednesday, Sadiq Khan warned that Cressida Dick, its commissioner, has “days or weeks” to win back trust, signalling he is otherwise ready to oust her.
For some, her command of the operation that led to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005 should have barred her from the top job in the first place. After 2017, when she took over, confidence in the Met fell steeply. An explosion in the use of stop and search unnecessarily alienated communities, with little evidence it has led to sustained falls in violence.
Then came Sarah Everard’s murder by serving officer Wayne Couzens, and the crackdown on a vigil in her memory; the sharing of pictures of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman by officers; the failure to catch serial killer Stephen Port, which a jury found “probably” contributed to the death of three of his four victims. These and a spate of other stories have devastated trust. Dame Cressida herself was criticised for hampering the inquiry into the murder of private detective Daniel Morgan, in a report warning of “institutional corruption” in the service. Last week, the emergence of vile misogynist, racist and homophobic messages exchanged between officers at Charing Cross station was added to this appalling catalogue.
For the public, as for Mr Khan it seems, it is the Met’s calamitous response as much as the events themselves that have destroyed confidence. Following Couzens’s sentencing, it told women to wave down a bus if they had concerns for their safety. Nine of the 14 officers involved at Charing Cross are still serving; extraordinarily, two have been promoted. It appears that Ms Dick and those around her just do not get it – or do not care. Some parts of the community have long had reason to distrust the police. But the fear that officers cannot be relied upon to protect and serve, and that they may instead pose a threat, is now increasingly mainstream.
The Home Office reappointed Dame Cressida last autumn. The assumption is that if Mr Khan formally expresses no confidence then her position would be untenable; in 2008 Sir Ian Blair resigned as commissioner after losing the support of the then mayor – Boris Johnson. But that is a matter of precedent and common sense, not of agreed procedure. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Met is investigating No 10 over lockdown parties (its reluctance to do so having further hit its reputation).
No one imagines it is easy for a leader to change an institution such as the police. But change can come only from the top. The leader sets the tone and the standards: she can reward whistleblowers, and punish or remove those who fall short.
Dame Cressida must be aware that beyond the question of her duty, there is an institutional calculation to be made. The police in Britain enjoy operational independence, but politicians carry the can when it goes wrong. If the service cannot sort itself out, the temptation may be for a more hands-on approach. It would not be in the interest of the public or the Met for politicians to direct day-to-day policing.
The more profound and urgent issue is that the police cannot afford to be regarded with fear or contempt. Good officers are appalled by the actions of some of their colleagues. When the public lose faith, it doesn’t merely sap morale; a difficult and dangerous job becomes still harder and riskier. Mr Khan is right to put Dame Cressida on notice. If she will not take action, she should make way for someone who will.