New Met Police chief must rebuild public trust in force says Patel

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, Home Secretary Priti Patel has warned.

Ms Patel, who is beginning the search for a successor to Dame Cressida Dick, said it would require “strong and decisive leadership” to rebuild public confidence in the force’s “integrity and professionalism”.

Dame Cressida dramatically announced she was standing down as Metropolitan Police Commissioner on Thursday evening after London Mayor Sadiq Khan made clear he had no confidence in her plans to reform the service.

Writing in London’s Evening Standard, Ms Patel, who must now oversee the appointment of a successor, said she would be looking for someone who could deliver results for the public.

“Following a series of appalling incidents and too many historical cases involving serving Met Police officers, it is clear that strong and decisive new leadership will be required to restore public confidence in our largest police force,” she said.

“The public in London and across the entire country must once again have confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the police officers who serve them.

“Policing culture and conduct have rightly come under scrutiny. Be in no doubt that a new leader must tackle these institutional issues.”