Mayor Sadiq Khan refuses to rule out breaking up force

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23rd Sep, 2023. 08:53 pm
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Sadiq Khan doesn’t rule out dismantling the Metropolitan Police if reform efforts fail.

The Mayor of London is open to exploring all options to improve the force’s culture.
Khan unveils plans for a London Policing Board to boost accountability, following Baroness Casey’s recommendations.

Sadiq Khan has not ruled out the possibility of dismantling the Metropolitan Police if ongoing reform efforts prove unsuccessful.

As the Mayor of London, he emphasized that he is open to exploring all options to enhance the force’s organizational culture.

Recently, he unveiled plans for a London Policing Board aimed at increasing accountability within the Met, a crucial recommendation from Baroness Casey’s comprehensive review of the Met’s culture earlier this year.

When questioned on Times Radio, Mr. Khan was asked whether disbanding the Met Police could be considered if cultural improvements were not achieved.

He said: “I think… we need to try and see if this works. And if it doesn’t work nothing is off the table.”

When questioned further about the possibility of dividing the force into smaller independent entities, similar to the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2001, Sadiq Khan clarified that such a step is not currently under consideration, stating that “we have not reached that point.”

Referencing Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Police’s commissioner, he said: “Sir Mark himself has had the humility and candor to say he needs around two or three years to turn things around. I think he’s right, by the way. You don’t change a system or culture overnight.”

He expressed his desire for police service reform to be a significant aspect of his mayoral tenure.

“It’s incredibly important,” he said. “The way we’ve always done stuff isn’t working. And that’s what the police board is seeking to address as well.”

Earlier on Friday, Mr. Khan informed the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the newly established board comprises experts from diverse fields.

“This outside expertise will be really important in ensuring we bring about the long-lasting cultural and systematic change in the police service that Londoners so desperately want and need,” he said.

Among the board’s members are Stuart Lawrence, an author and educator who is the younger sibling of the late Stephen Lawrence, and Neil Basu, the former assistant commissioner for specialist operations at the Met.

Mayor Sadiq Khan refuses to rule out breaking up force

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