Friday 8 July 2022
Former head of Surrey Police is named new Met Police Commissioner following on from Cressida Dick
The Home Secretary Priti Patel has today announced the appointment of Sir Mark Rowley as the new Commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police Service
Sir Mark was formally appointed by Her Majesty the Queen
following a recommendation from the Home Secretary, after a highly competitive
recruitment process. Representations from the Mayor of London were considered
by the Home Secretary as part of this recommendation.
At a time when the Government is investing record sums into
policing, including supporting the recruitment of 20,000 additional police
officers across England and Wales, the new Commissioner will need to focus on
getting the basics right, restoring confidence in policing, delivering on the
Beating Crime Plan and making our capital’s streets safer.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
“Sir Mark Rowley is a distinguished and exceptionally
experienced police officer, having served the people of the West Midlands and
Surrey before guiding the capital through some of its most challenging moments
in the wake of the 2017 terror attacks, as the Met’s then head of
counter-terrorism.
“He now takes on one of the most important and demanding
jobs in policing, leading the country’s largest force at a time when public
trust in the Metropolitan Police has been severely undermined by a number of
significant failings. 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 and to
making London’s streets safer by driving down crime and bringing more criminals
to justice.
“As the largest police force in the country, we have
supported the Met to recruit 2,599 extra police officers and increased their
annual policing budget to £3.24 billion in 2022-23. I look forward to working
closely with Sir Mark to ensure this investment drives essential change to
ensure the force delivers for the people of London.”
Responding to his appointment, Sir Mark Rowley said:
“I feel deeply honoured to be appointed to be the next
Metropolitan Police Commissioner. 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.
“We will deliver more trust, less crime and high
standards for London and beyond and we will work with London’s diverse communities
as we together renew the uniquely British invention of ‘policing by consent’.”
The date of Sir Mark’s first day in the role will be
confirmed in due course.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:
“The Home Secretary and I have agreed that Sir Mark
Rowley is the best person to lead the Metropolitan Police as the new
Commissioner at this extremely challenging time.
“A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed
deep cultural problems within the Met, but have contributed to a crisis of
confidence in London’s police service. 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. As
Mayor, I will support and hold him to these promises as I continue to hold the
Met to account.
“Sir Mark has demonstrated to me that he is the
outstanding candidate for this role. He brings a wealth of great experience to
the position, including exceptional leadership during the 2017 terror attacks
and a genuine commitment to increasing engagement with diverse communities
across our city. The experience he has gained outside policing over the last
four years will also bring a valuable new perspective to the Met. Above all, he
is committed to policing by consent and shares my ambition to get to a place
where all Londoners feel protected and served, and where we have a police force
that everyone – including the many brave and dedicated officers in our city –
can be proud of.
“I look forward to supporting Sir Mark Rowley and working
closely with the Home Secretary as we work to restore trust and confidence in
the police, ensure that the Met gets the basics of policing right, and build on
the significant success we have made in driving down violence and crime in our
city.”
Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service Sir
Stephen House added:
“I would like to congratulate Sir Mark Rowley QPM on his
appointment as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
“Anyone who knows Sir Mark will be aware that he brings
extensive policing experience from both inside and outside London, which I have
no doubt will benefit London and Londoners.”
Biography of Sir Mark Rowley
Sir Mark Peter Rowley QPM was Chief Constable of Surrey
Police for four years (2008-2011) before joining the Metropolitan Police
Service in 2011. Sir Mark was a former Assistant Commissioner for Specialist
Crime and Operations of the Metropolitan Police Service (2011- 2014), and then
National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Counter-Terrorism (2014- 2018). He was
knighted in 2018 for his exceptional contribution to national security and
national leadership at a time of unprecedented threat.
Sir Mark Rowley’s career in policing spans over 30 years,
during which time he has transformed national security and policing. As Chief
Constable, he lifted the public confidence levels in Surrey to the highest in
the country. After joining the Metropolitan Police Service, Sir Mark
transformed the approach to UK counter-terrorism and policing gangs, increasing
community engagement and workforce diversity, leading the police response to
the London terror attacks of 2017 and reducing shootings and murders in London
to an all-time low. He also led reform in policing of public order, organised
crime and fraud, launching the 200 strong Op Falcon team to combat the growth
of online fraud and cybercrime.
Since leaving policing in 2018 he has worked in specialist
security projects and on technology/data led transformation with ‘start-ups’
and the world’s largest professional services company. He has focused on:
countering extremism and racism, online safety, institutional integrity and
illicit finance.
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 2:21 pm