Met chief Cressida Dick backs senior police officer Sara Thornton on tackling burglars and violence ahead of hate crimes

Cressida Dick pictured at Scotland Yard,
Lucy Young
Olivia Tobin2 November 2018
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The head of the Metropolitan Police has supported a call for officers to prioritise tackling burglary and violence over hate crime.

Met Police chief Cressida Dick said she backs Sara Thornton’s comments on focusing on “traditional values”.

Ms Dick said she “absolutely agrees” with the chair of the National Police Chief’s Councils, who said incidents of misogyny and claims against dead people should not be pursued.

Speaking at the London Assembly, Ms Dick said: “There’s never been a fag paper between us on this…I’m with Sara.”

Earlier this week, Ms Thornton, one of the country’s most senior officers, warned forces are too stretched to tackle all “desirable and deserving issues”, such as misogyny reports.

Ms Thornton called for a “refocus on core policing” that is currently “seriously stretched as she opened a joint conference hosted by the NSPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police Sara Thornton poses with her CBE, which she received from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to the police force at Windsor Castle on May 6, 2011, Windsor, Berkshire, England. (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images) ***
Steve Parsons/Getty Images

She added: “Ms Thornton said: "I want us to solve more burglaries and bear down on violence before we make more records of incidents that are not crimes."

Ms Dick said her priority was tackling violence in the capital.

Ms Dick said: "When I talked about traditional values what I meant was policing by consent, local policing and in particular our core values of courage, professionalism, integrity and of compassion.

"That's quite historic and quite old-fashioned in a sense but I'm contrasting that with the need to be very modern in our approach."

She added: "Violent crime is too high in London and that will be my priority.

"I define it broadly from terrorism through to sexual offences and child protection and street violence and domestic abuse."

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