Metropolitan Police Authority back Lib Dem plan for longer term for Lambeth's Top Cop

11.21.20am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th May 2009

The Metropolitan Police Authority have backed the proposal of Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Streatham, Chris Nicholson, that Metropolitan Police Borough Commanders should have a longer terms in post to ensure continuity of policing in Boroughs such as Lambeth.

Chris wrote to London Mayor Boris Johnson in March (copy letter below) when it became clear that Lambeth Borough Commander Sharon Rowe was looking to leave her role after less than two years in the job. Shortly afterwards she was appointed as Assistant Chief Constable in the West Midlands.

In response to Chris's letter Kit Malthouse Deputy Mayor for Policing said "I share your concern about the sometimes too frequent turnover seen in Borough Commander posts ..... it is clearly not conducive to stable leadership in boroughs. This is one issue that we are looking to address through MetForward, the MPA's new strategic framework which was approved by the Authority on 30 April. Our intention is to introduce a requirement that Borough Commanders should remain in post for a minimum of three years"

Chris commented, " This is good news for the fight against crime in Lambeth. I am pleased that the Met Police have accepted my argument that such frequent changes in the Borough Police Commander is not conducive to good policing and community relations in Lambeth. When the new Borough Commander is appointed to replace Sharon Rowe we hopefully can be assured of at least three years of a consistent policy to policing in Lambeth"