London police boss forced out amid escalating controversies
London police chief Cressida Dick has resigned, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says, after he told her he was not satisfied she could root out the racism, sexism and other problems that still existed within the force.
Confidence in London’s Metropolitan Police has been shaken in recent years by revelations including the abduction, rape and murder of a woman by one of its officers and a culture of bullying, racial discrimination and misogyny in a central London police station.
Mr Khan said he had made clear to Dame Cressida the scale of the change he believed was urgently required to rebuild the trust and confidence of Londoners in the Met and to expunge racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny from it.
“I am not satisfied with the Commissioner’s response,” he said, adding that on being informed of this, Dame Cressida had offered her resignation, which he had accepted.
“It’s clear that the only way to start to deliver the scale of the change required is to have new leadership right at the top of the Metropolitan Police,” Mr Khan said.
Dame Cressida said she was left with no choice but to stand down.
“It is with huge sadness that following contact with the Mayor of London today, it is clear that the Mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue,” she said in a statement.
-AAP