Met chief: Behave like leaders

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens today said the force is going through its toughest period in its history and urged senior officers to act like leaders.

Britain's most senior police chief also delivered a stark warning to under-achieving officers: "If you're not up to the job - leave now."

He admitted morale was at rock bottom and that high and middle-ranking officers needed to lead by example and inspire pride in officers.

The Met is in financial chaos - exacerbated by the increased terrorist threat since 11 September - street crime has hit a record high and the force is battling an officer recruitment and retention crisis.

Sir John said: "At times like these, there is only one way to get things done, we must act together and ensure that we are all rowing in the same direction. I can tell within minutes what morale is like at a police station and that all revolves around leadership. I see enthusiasm and pride, but I still see massive pockets of demoralisation and that comes from leadership too.

"Ask yourselves, do you support your staff enough? Do you praise them enough? Surveys over the past year and a half indicated that three quarters of the officers who left the Metropolitan police early didn't go because of the money and conditions, nor because of their job, however hard.

"They went because they did not feel welcome and didn't feel that they had been treated right or led in the right way.

"It's not a pretty tale but maybe we are not putting enough emphasis on how we generate confidence."

Sir John delivered the blunt message to chief inspectors, inspectors and executive officers at a Scotland Yard, Mission, Vision and Values briefing.

He urged senior officers to root out the small number of "terminally negative people found in most offices". He said this was usually seven to 10 year "veterans" who infect other staff and whom he doesn't want in the force.

"These people think they know the answers to everything, and that means they know nothing," he said.

The Commissioner also said that anyone burned out by their job and who was not in the business of carrying the organisation forward should find another career. He stressed he did not want to lose anyone who was "truly committed" to the Met and would always support those who needed help.

Sir John also made clear his intention to recruit 700 police "auxiliaries" to carry out extra anti-terrorism patrols saying: "We cannot deliver what Londoners want if we don't have some force as our eyes and ears to help deliver safety."

The Met has been told to make £60 million in savings next year due to a massive overspend. Sir John said he understood officers were being "driven mad" by having to spend more time balancing their budgets than doing their work but said there was no option but to get the figures right. The Met will now cut overtime and the hiring of cars is to be stopped.

Overall police strength in the capital is now 26,240 - 720 down on the figures for the end of 1997.

London's boroughs currently have 1,400 fewer officers available for frontline duties today than they did four years ago.

Sir John ended by telling senior officers: "There is no more important job in London than the one that we do. Be proud of what you do, be proud of the people you lead and be proud of who you are."