Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how?


by Jenny Jones AM    
4:39 pm - January 16th 2012

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The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) has been both rewarding and infuriating; a chance for a mix of politicians, independents and magistrates to question the Met in public, but still astonishingly impenetrable when it chose to be.

There was genuine dialogue – sometimes tetchy and difficult, but the Commissioner had to respond directly.

This contrasts with the new arrangements for policing in London, where the Mayor Boris Johnson will keep both the executive power and direct scrutiny of the Met.

Here’s how the new system will work: the cross party scrutiny element of the MPA will move to the London Assembly who will legally have the function of scrutinising the Mayor, rather than the Met directly. The big risk in the new system is that it makes policing highly party political, with an executive Mayor scrutinised by an oppositional Assembly.

The independent element of the MPA, which had eleven appointed non-political members, may be retained, with people being appointed by the Mayor to the newly formed Mayor’s Office for Police Crime (MOPC). But the Mayor may want a tighter group of ‘yes men/women’ to sit on this executive body and to provide advice on balance sheets and business contracts, rather than civil liberties and the public’s crime priorities.

While the MPA was far from perfect it achieved some important things over the years. But the twenty three member Authority has constantly struggled to get enough information from the Met to properly scrutinise them.

I worry that the new MOPC, even if they tried, will simply not be able to thoroughly hold the Met to account on all these issues. Worse I fear if the MOPC doesn’t see an area as a priority it will become a blind spot.

We have seen such blind spots before, especially over the phone hacking scandal. The Mayor, who is ultimately responsible for policing, said the allegations were ‘codswallop’ and ‘politically motivated’ even when the Met had sent officers to New York to further investigate the allegations.

Where does this leave the policing situation in London? I believe for the public to have confidence in the Met police then MOPC meetings should be open to the press and public.

I also believe that in order to avoid the politicisation of the police and to ensure policing remains by consent, the Mayor should make sure the MOPC is a ‘big tent’ of people across the political spectrum of London life.

The Mayor and the Police Commissioner need to be held to account as never before. I think that is more possible now than before.

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About the author
This is a guest post. Jenny Jones is a London Assembly Member, representing the Green Party. She is also leader of the Green Group and Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee.
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Story Filed Under: Blog ,Civil liberties ,Crime ,London Mayor


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Reader comments


1. Leon Wolfeson

It was all too likely that the MPA wouldn’t approve the kind of militarisation the Tories want of police.

2. Bob B

Please remind me. What will happen if the Met Police want to investigate the administration of the Greater London Authority?

3. john P reid

Leon, When Jacqui Smith got 10,000 Tazers for the Met, it was boris whosaid they couldn’t havethem except Trojan armed response, rather than Beat bobbies, the Governemnt has also stopped the New Kevla mesh Shirts as they are two expensive, miltarisation of the Police is only becuase they are put in Public order situatipons of Arson with out guns,

the word “scrutinize”is a fair enough description For the MPA,it’s something the home secretary will aslo do now, the words “held to account”Is something the MPA never did anyway that was the lawfully the IPCC and other Police services in terms of finance.

4. Leon Wolfeson

@3 – Oh yes, “only” because the government has lit a match.

Never mind the kettlings and beatings. Never mind the licence to lie. Never mind…

5. john P reid

4@ Kettling(crowd control,) is miltarization is I don’t think so

not sure what the “only” bit meant, Lighting a match???


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Nemesis Republic

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/jIzIukzD

  2. Ian Dunt

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/jIzIukzD

  3. Darren Johnson

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how?http://t.co/k432bwLn @liberalconspiracy @paullewis

  4. Derek Oakley

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how?http://t.co/k432bwLn @liberalconspiracy @paullewis

  5. Republic Southwark

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/qa8Bl07x via @libcon

  6. Patron Press - #P2

    #UK : Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/zsv7ZnP2

  7. 15Mrussafa

    #UK : Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/zsv7ZnP2

  8. Good Guy

    #UK : Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/zsv7ZnP2

  9. leftlinks

    Liberal Conspiracy – Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/TjcpXMGg

  10. criticalpraxis

    Who will scrutinise the Met Police now, and how? http://t.co/jIzIukzD

  11. Jenny Jones

    My comments on the new arrangements for holding the Met to account – slightly depressing yet exciting at the same time: http://t.co/lyhXA4HM

  12. ian bishop

    My comments on the new arrangements for holding the Met to account – slightly depressing yet exciting at the same time: http://t.co/lyhXA4HM

  13. Domenic Broadley

    My comments on the new arrangements for holding the Met to account – slightly depressing yet exciting at the same time: http://t.co/lyhXA4HM





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