Whoever takes over as police chief in London has a lot to do

THE resignation on Thursday of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick was a shock to some, but not much of a surprise. For many months she has been under intense pressure and most commentators were of the view it was not a case of if she would quit, but when.

Even so, stepping down just a few hours after assuring BBC radio listeners she was going nowhere took many by surprise. Having survived arguably worse scandals than the appalling behaviour of police officers at Charing Cross – caught sharing racist, homophobic and misogynistic messages – Ms Dick could be seen as a survivor.

But there is always a “last straw” and it seems these revelations, and the response they drew from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has long harboured doubts about Ms Dick, were enough to “break the camel’s back.”

Who, however, would want her job now?

As is often the case when these changes come about, the speculation about possible names in the frame is extremely wide.

Shaun Sawyer, who served in senior positions in the Met before coming to lead Devon and Cornwall as chief constable, has already been mentioned for the top job back in London. It is not the first time Mr Sawyer, well-liked, extremely experienced and a safe pair of hands, has been mentioned in the same breath as the Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s role.

But as a source tells today’s Western Morning News, Mr Sawyer feels he has unfinished business to sort out here in Devon and Cornwall. Investigations into the mass shooting in Keyham, Plymouth, exactly six months ago today are far from finished and the Devon and Cornwall force still has questions to answer.

Then there is the alleged murder case involving Bobbi-Anne McLeod, which has yet to come to trial. That too is an issue that Mr Sawyer would surely like to see resolved. It may be that while he would be suited to the job at the Met, there is too much else to sort out here.

However someone has got to take on the job, however much of a poisoned chalice it might appear.

It hardly needs saying that whoever becomes Metropolitan Police commissioner will face a tough task in rebuilding public trust in the force because there are “concerns about the standards of policing.”

While we are sure the vast majority of police officers working in the capital are honest, trustworthy and upstanding, it is clear there is an ugly sub-culture among some officers. And even if they try to keep their unacceptable comments and thoughts to themselves, the fact that they have now emerged shines a very unattractive light on the force as a whole.

Being a police officer in 21st century Britain is clearly among the most challenging of jobs. Scrutiny is total, the risks are high, the pressures enormous. But there are no excuses for holding views that discriminate and insult specific groups. Whoever takes over the Metropolitan Police will need to change the culture and do so in as timely a way as possible. It’s vital work, not just for London, for the nation as a whole.