Dame Lynne Owens appointed interim deputy at MPS

The appointment has been announced by incomming commissioner Sir Mark Rowley who said Ms Owens would take on the role for six months while a recruitment process is run. The appointment has been supported by the Home Secretary and the Mayor of London.

Sir Mark said: “Lynne is exceptional. She is an outstanding leader, who brings immense operational expertise and experience driven by the value of public service. She is a dynamic chief officer who is prepared to confront challenges and is passionate about the relationship between police and communities. We are fortunate to have her join the team.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Dame Lynne Owens is a strong and formidable leader with decades of experience in law enforcement and I am confident she is the right person to support Sir Mark as he starts his new role as commissioner. Rebuilding public trust in policing, tackling neighbourhood crime and getting the basics right must be the top priorities for the Met’s leadership team.

“As the largest force in the country, we have supported the Met to recruit 2,952 extra police officers and their budget will be up to £3.24 billion in this year. I will expect the leadership to now help drive down crime, deliver on the Police Uplift Programme, bring more criminals to justice and make the streets of our capital safer.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I welcome the appointment of Dame Lynne Owens as interim deputy commissioner as she returns to policing. Dame Lynne brings decades of experience, from her senior roles in the Met, Surrey Police and most recently as lead for the NCA. Her knowledge and insight will be invaluable in the coming months as the Met focuses on change and improvement.

“I look forward to working closely with Dame Lynne and Sir Mark to restore trust and confidence in the police and build on the significant success we have made in driving down violence and crime in our city.”

Dame Lynne said: “I am enormously pleased to have this opportunity to return to the Met to support Sir Mark in delivering his plan for London as well as its communities and its officers, staff and volunteers. His intent is undoubtedly the right one, requiring a team effort to renew policing by consent with less crime, higher standards and more trust. I can’t wait to get started!”

Dame Lynne stood down from her position at the NCA in 2021 to focus on her treatment for breast cancer. She had been considered a strong candidate for the positon of MPS Commissioner – and the preferred choice of the Home Secretary – but in May she announced on social media that she would not be submitting an application.

She wrote on Twitter: “I’m so grateful for the support I’ve had as I’ve worked through my decision. I do not intend to talk about my rationale other than to say it is not health related & I am actively looking for my next career challenge! I wish candidates every success – policing will always hold my heart.”

Dame Lynne will join the MPS on September 12.