Assembly writes to the Met Police over Sarah Everard case and vigil

The cross-party London Assembly Police and Crime Committee has today, written to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Dame Cressida Dick QPM, urging her to take action to rebuild the confidence of women in London, following the events in the capital over the last few weeks.

In the letter, the Committee outlines three key areas where there is immediate concern around the way the Met undertook the policing of the vigil to mark Sarah Everard’s murder.

• the footage that emerged from the vigil that showed Met officers pulling women out of the crowd as they made arrests.
• the Met’s engagement with the organisers of the vigil and the failure to agree on arrangements for a COVID-19 secure event.
• the loss of confidence in the Met by many women who feel they have been let down by the very force that is meant to protect them.

Additionally, the Committee has urged the Met to increase the number of officers assigned to the ‘Predatory Offender Units’ by the end of the 2021/22 financial year. Currently the Met has 108 officers working in these units, but the Met has yet to say whether it has any plans to increase this to help reassure Londoners that it is dedicating the resources needed.

The Committee also urged the Met to take a robust approach to reports of abuse and violence from women to provide assurance that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated on the capital’s streets.

Unmesh Desai, Chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said,

“Londoners, and women, in particular, are feeling shaken about the tragic murder of Sarah Everard. The handling of the vigil last Saturday has only added to the anger, upset, and worry that many across the capital are already feeling.

“It is unacceptable that women face harassment, abuse, and violence, and too often lack confidence that they will get the support they need if they report it to the police. The Met need to provide assurances to Londoners that crimes of this kind will not be tolerated in our city by taking a robust approach to reports of harassment, abuse, or violence and acting promptly in response.

“Londoners have a right to feel safe on our streets, however, the events of recent weeks have been a harrowing reminder that this is sadly still not the case for women and girls. The Met does important work to keep Londoners safe, but there are concerns that the events over the last few weeks could have damaged the trust Londoners have in the police force. We must now see the Met take urgent steps to restore the confidence in women.”