Former counter-terrorism chief Sir Mark Rowley has promised to restore trust in the police after being appointed as the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Rowley, 57, was today formally appointed by The Queen following a recommendation by Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The position has been vacant since Dame Cressida Dick resigned in April after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan withdrew his support over alleged racism, sexism and bullying within the force.
Rowley said: “I feel deeply honoured to be appointed to be the next Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
“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’.”
Rowley was the Chief Constable of Surrey Police from 2008 to 2011, before joining the Met in 2011.
He coordinated the response to the 2017 terror attacks as the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Counter-Terrorism from 2014 to 2018, and was knighted in 2018 for his contribution to national security.
He left policing after being beaten to the commissioner role in 2017 by Dick, and has since worked in the private security sector.
Rowley has promised to fight crime in collaboration with local communities and will attempt to renew the idea of ‘policing by consent’, where the police’s authority stems from transparency, integrity and accountability.
Trust in the Met Police has fallen sharply in recent years, as in March just 57% of Londoners felt that the police could be relied upon to be there when needed, down from 79% five years ago.
The force’s public image has been damaged by a series of scandals, such as the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021 by active Met Police constable Wayne Couzens.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “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.”
The new commissioner will take over from interim-head former Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House later this year.
In May, the candidates for commissioner role were narrowed down to Rowley and Nick Ephgrave, the current Assistant Commissioner for the Met Police.
Both candidates were questioned in rounds by then-policing minister Kit Malthouse, Khan and Patel, and Rowley reportedly pitched a 100-day plan to restoring faith in the Metropolitan Police.
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