Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has been accused of “walking around” with his “eyes closed” after he refused to answer comments whether or not he has personally witnessed sexism or racism during his many long years in the police.
A bad tempered deputy chairman of the Conservative Party Lee Anderson and the Met chief appeared at the Commons Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Ashfield told Sir Mark, “I find it pretty hard to believe that a police officer with years and years of service with an organisation has not witnessed any of this when we know it goes off, because if you have (sic) you must be walking around with your eyes closed.”
Sir Mark said that he has only been in the Met for six years as a senior police officer saying that no one would behave in such a fashion in front of him, but earlier in his career he had seen things.
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Anderson then asked, “Do you think it’s time that you left the ivory tower and got out there on Whitehall and sorted these people out because you know, people of London, the tourists, the people that work at this place and you know, the taxi drivers the bus drivers, they’re getting fed up of it and you’re just letting it happen? You’ve got the powers now to do this.”
Sir Mark replied, “You’re making selective comments based on a partial understanding of the law.
“I do not want Londoners disrupted any more than anybody else does.
“But the law is very clear that protest is disruptive and to a certain extent, that is allowed.
“That is what the law says at the moment.
“Now, you might not like that, but I have to work to the law rather than whim.”
Anderson said he would have preferred the Commissioner to have stayed away from the force, who joined in September.
He told the Met chief, “I’ll make one more statement because I feel like I’m wasting my time with you to be honest.
“You say you took five years out of the force.
“There’s probably people listening to this today who wish it was a lot longer, and I’m one of them.
“Do you think you’ve got the confidence of the public?”
Sir Mark answered, “If people want to be personally offensive then write it in newspapers, but I’m not gonna answer those questions.”
Police chiefs are very concerned that their “legitimacy is hanging by a thread” as “trust has been severely damaged” as many no longer have trust in the police, which comes after a rapist “corrupt” cop David Carrick got away with being able to rape and sexually abuse women for years under their watch.
In November one of the most senior police officers in Britain told delegates at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) addressed a damning watchdog report of police vetting, where they found that hundreds, if not thousands corrupt and bent officers could be serving.
Martin Hewitt who is the chairman of the NPCC told delegates that he has “repeatedly felt deep shame” at the actions of some officers serving in the police.
Hewitt urged Police chiefs they must “urgently” tackle the problems “fully and for the long term,” warning that “Public confidence and the confidence of our people depends on it.”
