Letters: The Met’s trust challenge
[Re: Crime in our capital city will stay high unless confidence in the Met is restored, June 10]
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, we’re seeing fresh waves of concern about a potential spike in crime figures . The Met currently has more police officers than ever before, yet it appears there is still significant headway to be made to rebuild the nation’s trust, particularly in the capital.
Recent research revealed that only 1 in 4 would speak highly of their local police force. There is a significant difference depending on ethnicity, with 43 per cent of ethnic minorities indicating they believe the police to be trustworthy compared to 58 per cent of white people. Fewer than two in five people from ethnic minorities feel that they will be treated fairly by the police, compared to more than three in five of white people.
Londoners have a particularly negative view of the police compared to the average Briton. Londoners are also less likely to describe their local police as trustworthy or competent and more likely to label them sexist and racist compared to the rest of Britain.
With London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressing concern that the cost-of-living crisis may lead to an increase in violent crime in the capital, public opinions have never been more telling and confidence will be integral to fighting crime and keeping our population safe.
Hannah Shrimpton