Former anti-terror chief to replace Cressida Dick
He vows to root out corruption plaguing the Met
Britain’s former counter-terrorism chief sir Mark
rowley was given the toughest job in policing yesterday as the Commissioner of scotland Yard.
the 57-year-old was chosen by the Home secretary to steady the Met as it faces the worst crisis in its history.
sir Mark pitched a 100-day plan to start turning the country’s biggest force around, including boosting confidence in its ability to tackle violence against women and girls and driving down overall violence in the capital.
He previously achieved such a feat as the Met’s head of special operations from 2011 when he reduced shootings by 42 per cent and the murder rate fell to a record low.
He is regarded by colleagues as fiercely intelligent, judicious and calm under pressure. He led the country’s counter-terrorism command for four years at a time of unprecedented threat after the Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge attacks of 2017.
Prior to that he achieved the highest public confidence ratings in the country as chief constable of surrey Police.
sir Mark was chosen over Met assistant commissioner nick Ephgrave for the £293,000-a-year job after Dame Cressida Dick was ousted in February by London mayor sadiq Khan following scandals including the murder of sarah Everard by an officer and the jailing of two officers who photographed dead bodies. Last month the force was plunged into special measures.
sir Mark had pitched for the top job in 2017 before retiring from the police in 2018 after being knighted for his ‘exceptional contribution to national security’.
Yesterday the new Commissioner promised to be ‘ruthless’ in rooting out those ‘corrupting’ the force and ‘deliver more trust, less crime and high standards for London’.
He said: ‘Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.
‘i am grateful that the Home secretary and mayor are both determined to support the urgent reforms we need to deliver successful community crimefighting in today’s fast-moving world. these reforms include our use of technology and data, our culture and our policing approach.
‘We will fight crime with communities – not unilaterally dispense tactics. i also know that the majority of officers and staff retain an extraordinary sense of vocation and determination and want us to do better. it is my job to help them do that, whilst also being ruthless in removing those who are corrupting our integrity.’
Home secretary Priti Patel said of sir Mark: ‘rebuilding public trust and delivering on crime reduction must be his priority.
‘this will be a challenging period, but with a focus on tackling neighbourhood crime and delivering the basics of policing, sir Mark is committed to tackling the significant challenges confronting the force.’
Mr Khan said: ‘sir Mark has made clear to me that he is determined to be a reforming Commissioner, committed to implementing a robust plan to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and to drive through the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve.’
‘Renewal of policing by consent’