Having visited Ealing earlier on Tuesday (8 August 2023) with Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley then joined with Ealing-based police officers to introduce ‘A New Met for London’.
The open evening for residents and businesses across Ealing, which took place at University of London, saw a packed audience of over 250 people hear up close and personal police plans for the borough and details of the New Met for London plan.
The ‘A New Met for London’ is part of a series of events the Metropolitan Police are holding across each and every borough in London where the public can meet with local police and get an opportunity to talk to them about what are pressing issues to find out how they are set to be addressed locally.
These plans include more visible officers, additional police community support officers, improving communications, removing rogue officers and tackling discrimination within the force.
Sir Mark highlighted his vision and turned to the founder of the Met, Sir Robert Peel’s policing principles: “To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”
Sir Mark spoke of the need to ensure that priorities for each borough are addressed according to their own needs and said the police are listening and want to ensure they work with local communities.
In Ealing, heading up Ealing Safer Neighbourhoods is Superintendent Sean Lynch who has been in his new role for the past 12 weeks having previously been in the force for several decades.
Superintendent Lynch showed those attending what he is working on and doing as well as inviting members across Ealing’s diverse community to reach out to him and his officers and engage with them.
He said: “It’s really important to me that we have really good engagement. Working with my Ealing Council colleagues this week, engagement has come up as a topic of discussion. Engagement is a big part of the work that we do with lots of communication.”
The Superintendent added: “I really want that. Engaging, listening and responding.”
Under the overall theme of More Trust, Less Crime, High Standards, Superintendent Lynch revealed what it meant for Ealing as well as showing to residents what the challenges are. He presented his slides and said it as his commitment to make it work in Ealing.
Afterwards, speaking to EALING.NEWS, Superintendent Lynch said: “I have an affinity to this part of London. Ealing and everything that comes with the borough is an incredibly vibrant place to work. I know Southall well and what vibrancy it brings, the restaurants, the food, the culture.”
He added of being in Ealing: “It’s just a nice place to be and to work and live.”
The Superintendent said he is also looking forward to showing the public his commitment to get more officers out on the streets and be more visible to the public.
He added that initiatives such as ‘coffee with a copper’ and ‘chai with the police’ will continue along with other ways to meet and listen to locals across Ealing and its seven towns. “I’m really keen for that. I still think there’s real space to make sure that we cater for the needs of all our communities. Being face to face is something I really like doing.”
During the evening, there was also a Q&A to ask questions around policing plans and what changes will be taking place.
Councillor Connie Hersch, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Policing who attended the event said: “Liberal Democrats says that racism and misogyny were important points raised by the audience at the meeting. But having talked to a black, female officer who never had such experiences within the force, it goes to demonstrate that the Met police force has significant challenges ahead, but this is not beyond repair. Liberal Democrats say that at the centre of the turn-around plan is the need to re-build trust with the public and we will keep an eye on the progress being made.”
Councillor Connie Hersch added: “We must hold the Met to account for its failures to tackle violence against women and make London a welcoming and safe city again for all.”
Locals welcomed the opportunity to be there. One Hanwell resident said: “It was great to get the opportunity to speak to them and hear the officers speak openly about the challenges ahead. It is good to hear they are listening and we all now hope that what they have heard from people wanting and needing they will now deliver on.”
Another resident from Acton told EALING.NEWS: “They were very frank and honest about what happened in the past and said they know they need to build trust with the community. They can only win that trust by now delivering on what they plan and ensuring they always take the public with them on this.”
During the evening attendees also had an opportunity to meet and talk with police on a wide range of topics from how police dogs are trained through to careers working for the police.
Also attending the event were Ealing Central & Acton MP, Dr Rupa Huq, Ealing Council chief executive Tony Clements, Councillor Jasbir Anand, Councillor Varlene Alexander, Councillor John Martin, Councillor Aysha Raza, Councillor Claire Tighe, Councillor Mrs Seema Kumar, Councillor Grace Quansah, Councillor Connie Hersch and Councillor Anthony Young.
 with Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley then joined with Ealing-based police officers to introduce 'A New Met for London'.){kind=link}