Cressida Dick: Met commissioner given two-year contract extension

Dame Cressida Dick will serve an extra two years as Met Police commissioner, it has been confirmed.

Dame Cressida, 60, became the first woman to lead the Met when she was appointed in 2017 and will remain in post until 2024.

On Wednesday, a number of high-profile signatories wrote an open letter accusing her of "presiding over a culture of incompetence and cover-up".

The Police Federation has offered its support for Dame Cressida.

Since her appointment in 2017, Dame Cressida has been involved in several controversies.

The Met commissioner resisted pressure on her to resign in March when the force came under scrutiny over the handling of a vigil held in memory of Sarah Everard, the marketing executive murdered by then-Met Police constable Wayne Couzens.

Three months ago she was personally criticised in a report examining police failings in the 1987 murder of the private investigator Daniel Morgan.

The Met has faced repeated accusations of racial bias in its use of stop-and-search powers and was hit with criticism over the security of Wembley stadium during the final of the Euro 2020 championships.

Speaking about the decision to extend her five-year contract, Dame Cressida said: "I am immensely honoured and humbled to have been asked to extend my time as commissioner for a further two years.

"In the last four and a half years Met teams have dealt with some extraordinary challenges, including most recently in the pandemic, and delivered some fantastic results - critically, in reducing violent crimes.

"I'd like to thank the mayor, the home secretary and the prime minister for the confidence they have shown in me. I am acutely aware that there are many excellent leaders in policing."

In a statement released before the contract extension was announced, the Met Police Federation said Dame Cressida had the "full support of the rank and file".

The federation, which represents more than 30,000 officers in London, said: "It is easy to comment and criticise from the side-lines.

"We have worked with this commissioner for a number of years now and believe she is still the best candidate for the role.

"We know her to be an ethical, courageous and highly competent police leader who genuinely cares about London, its citizens and her officers."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "This will provide the experienced and strong leadership we need as our city emerges from the pandemic.

"The Met Commissioner has the most difficult policing job in the country, overseeing the safety of more than ten million people living, working and visiting our global city."