Dick was forced to step down as head of Britain’s largest police force after London’s Labor mayor, Sadiq Khan, accused her of failing to tackle a culture of bigotry and racism within the Met. In a farewell letter to London before her last day in her post on Sunday, Dick said she wished the force had succeeded during her tenure at the top. But he added: “The current politicization of policing is a threat not only to policing but also to confidence in the entire criminal justice system. Operational independence from local and central government is vital to an effective democracy and is a model respected around the world. We must all treasure it and protect it. “ The letter was published shortly after Hahn struck a blow at the commissioner, saying at a Labor Party local election rally that he would not “hide from the fact that I lost confidence in her”. Khan’s trust in Dick reached a tipping point when a scandal broke out at the Charing Cross police station, where police officers were found to be sharing racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic messages. Two of the officers investigated were promoted, while nine remained to continue serving. The Met leadership’s handling of the March 2021 assassination of Sarah Everard by a current Met officer also caused a stir in City Hall and the government. After her killer was sentenced to life in prison in September 2021, the Met leadership was expected to show that it understood these concerns. Instead, they mocked when they said that women who were worried about an officer approaching them could get off a bus by hand. Ever since her departure was announced, judges have ruled that the Met violated the rights of the organizers of an Everard vigil by handling the planned event. In the letter, which was published on Friday afternoon, he said: “We hear the criticism, we know that not everyone trusts us to provide a good service when they need us, and we have seen among us those whose horrible actions have allowed you all and we, down so awful. “Each of us leads us to become better, to uproot those who do not follow our standards and do not deserve to wear our uniform. To improve our response so that all our communities feel protected by us. “We listen and act according to what you tell us, in order to change for the better. “Just this week we started our plan for violence against women and girls, which was shaped by the views of hundreds of Londoners.” Dick, the first female leader in the Met’s 193-year history, has been leading the force since 2017, with her initial five-year term as Commissioner ending in April this year. Her contract was extended by two years until 2024 just last September by Home Secretary Pretty Patel, which was approved by Kahn. But Whitehall sources made it clear that if Dick lost the mayor’s confidence, they would not fight to save her. From Sunday she will take unused annual leave, with her last day of employment on April 24. She was greeted with applause and cheers “hip, hip, tail” as she walked through an honor guard outside the Scotland Yard before her last day at work this weekend. Going down the steps of the force headquarters and between two rows of uniformed officers on Friday, she was greeted with greetings, to which she returned before saying “thank you very much”. Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House will be acting Deputy Commissioner for the duration of the recruitment process.
