Met Commissioner must deliver on promises made this morning

12.49.51pm GMT Thu 29th Oct 2009

Metropolitan Police Authority member Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat London policing spokesperson, today called on the Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson to deliver on the promises he gave to this morning's meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority over the future deployment of armed police patrolling London's streets.

"I find it hard to believe that in a hierarchical organisation like the Met, individual officers could make decisions of this magnitude without any reference to their superiors", said Dee Doocey.

"I directly asked the Commissioner if it was normal for officers from the CO19 unit to make major decisions, like putting additional armed patrols on our streets, without reference to him, or indeed any other senior officers in New Scotland Yard? Sir Paul assured me that that it was not."

"I therefore hope that all officers in the Met, as well as the Commissioner, now fully understand that any major departure from established policy, particularly one that represents a significant shift in the way London is policed, needs to be reported and discussed in advance with members of the MPA. The Commissioner told me this would happen, and he must ensure he delivers on this promise in future."