All three were key lieutenants of former commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who was forced to resign in February after London mayor Sadiq Khan accused her of failing to tackle a culture of misogyny and racism. Sir Stephen House, who had temporarily taken over the force after Dick’s departure, will step down when Sir Mark Rowley begins his term as commissioner on September 12. House will lead a review of operational productivity in policing overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball has announced she will retire from policing after 35 years on October 31. And Nick Ephgrave, an assistant commissioner who lost to Rowley for the top job, will take up an interim position at the NPCC. Applications for Ephgrave’s £206,274-a-year job have appeared on the Met’s website. Rowley praised the record of all three officers, but said he welcomes the opportunity to introduce a new group of seniors. Khan said the new commissioner must commit to radical reform of the force. “I will not support the appointment of a new commissioner unless they can demonstrate that they understand the true extent of the cultural and organizational problems within the Met,” he said in June. Dick resigned soon after it was discovered that racist, misogynistic and homophobic messages had been sent by officers at Charing Cross police station. The Met’s reputation had been damaged by a series of disturbing cases, including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer. two constables who shared photos on WhatsApp of the bodies of murder victims Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry. and an inspection report that revealed 2,000 warrant cards had been lost. The Met continued to face criticism and scandal. On Monday he was charged with “state-sanctioned” child abuse after evidence revealed 650 children had been strip-searched over a two-year period. And children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza expressed concern about the racial disparity after figures showed 58% of children searched were black. House previously worked in several different forces and was appointed chief constable of Police Scotland in 2012. However, during his time leading the force, he faced criticism for his use of armed patrols as well as stop and search. He resigned in 2015 following the deaths of Lamara Bell and John Yuill, who were left uncovered in a wrecked car for three days despite a call from a member of the public. But in 2018 he became an assistant commissioner at the Met and was promoted to deputy commissioner by the end of the year. In a statement, Rowley said: “I am grateful to be given the opportunity to build a new leadership team to take the Met forward.” He added: “Sir Steve should be extremely proud of his record as Chief Constable. His influence has left a lasting mark on policing not only in London but far beyond. I am grateful for the Met’s management over the last tumultuous months and know that its priority has always been the safety of Londoners.” Hahn thanked House for his service, which he said “has been instrumental in the significant success we’ve had in fighting violence and keeping our communities safe.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Ball joined the force in 1987 but left in 2010 for Thames Valley Police as assistant chief constable. He later returned to work in counter-terrorism policing before taking up a role as strategic leadership adviser at the College of Policing. Ephgrave will lead the NPCC’s criminal justice portfolio on secondment. He started his career at the Met and moved to become Chief Constable of Surrey Police in late 2015. In 2019 he returned to the Met as Assistant Commissioner. Rowley added: “Both Helen and Nick are formidable leaders of the utmost integrity who have dedicated their careers to public service. “I wish Helen all the best in her retirement and am delighted that Nick will bring his wealth of experience from more than three decades of policing to this important work to deliver better outcomes for victims of crime.”
