The Metropolitan Police Federation released a scathing statement on Monday announcing that it has “no faith in London Mayor Sadiq Khan” following the “very public ousting of Commissioner Cressida Dick” last week.
“This is not a move we take lightly. We have let the Mayor’s office know in no uncertain terms how our brave and diligent colleagues deserve better,” Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said in the statement.
The organization, which represents more than 31,000 police officers in London, took the move after it claimed the atmosphere within the Met had hit “rock bottom,” with officers “saddened and angry” that Dick had been “pushed out.”
While Khan said last week that the commissioner’s resignation had come after she lost his support for failing to present a credible plan for reforming the culture within the Met, the policing body disagreed with his assessment.
“She was reforming. She was changing. The culture is changing. We are deeply disappointed with the actions of the mayor,” the federation stated.
In the strongly-worded statement, the group accused politicians of having “unfairly lambasted” officers “for things they haven’t done” while members of the force are “putting their safety at risk.”
Responding to the federation’s statement on Monday, a spokesperson for Khan said that the mayor “has always made clear that there are thousands of incredibly brave and decent police officers at the Met,” but that “the series of scandals seen in recent years has tarnished the reputation of the police.”
“Downplaying the scale of the change required is only going to hinder, not help, the vital process of restoring Londoners' trust in the Met,” they added.
Dick announced her shock resignation on Friday, hours after declaring she had no intention of leaving her post, claiming that the mayor had left her “no choice but to step aside.” She will remain in the role until a successor is appointed.
The Metropolitan Police force has been shrouded in multiple scandals over the past few years. In September 2021, Wayne Couzens was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard, whom he falsely arrested and killed while serving as a Met officer. Just months later, two former Met policemen were jailed for taking and sharing photos of two murdered sisters.
More recently, a report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct accused Met officers at the Charing Cross police station of “disgraceful” behavior, finding there was a culture of racism, sexism, and homophobia.