The former head of the British equivalent of the FBI has said he fears ministers’ plans to cut staff posts could have a “devastating” impact on the fight against organized and serious crime.
Speaking to Policing TV, Dame Lynne Owens, the former director general of the National Crime Agency (NCA), said she was “attentive” to discussions about proposals to eliminate 90,000 jobs and how they could affect the agency he ran for five years. years.
Owens, who retired last year, also revealed that she had not “ruled out” applying to become a metropolitan police commissioner in the future, although she decided not to do so after Dame Cressida Dick will resign in February.
On the possible job cuts, he said: “When I started at the agency, the budget was about £ 400 million. I think it was £ 711 million during the last year I was there. And they say rumors that this year will only cost £ 800 million.
“I have a keen eye on the current discussion in the government about public service cuts and how this could affect the agency because it would be devastating if it pushed the agency back.”
In a lengthy interview, Owens spoke about his decision not to run for Met post after Dick resigned.
“It was definitely the hardest career decision on‘ what will I do with my career ’that I’ve ever made, and I would definitely never say,” he said. “So I don’t rule out that I would apply at some point in the future.”
The next commissioner will be chosen by the Secretary of the Interior, who must take into account the views of the Mayor of London. The Met commissioner’s job announcement said the force needed a radical overhaul to increase public confidence that was weakening and rectifying “serious failures”.
Among those who applied is Mark Rowley, a former counter-terrorism chief who left the Met in 2018. A former Surrey Force Chief of Police is seen as the favorite to be the next commissioner.
Also waiting to see if he has moved on to the next stage, Shaun Sawyer, the Devon and Cornwall police chief, who resigns in August as police chief.
The only Met leader to show up is Deputy Commissioner Nick Ephgrave. Mike Bush, the former New Zealand police commissioner who led the force during the Christchurch terrorist massacre, has also been introduced.
Owens also expressed disappointment that his permanent replacement had not yet been appointed to the NCA.
She said: “I’m sad. I’m sad for the agency. Graeme Biggar has been, is, still doing a very good job as temporary general manager.
“But being temporary is very difficult. I’ve done temporary work at different times. And you’re constantly trying to overcome it, you know, if I make that decision, will it link the permanent person to something I can’t go back on? for about three to six months, but beyond that, I think it’s difficult, so I sincerely hope it can be resolved sooner rather than later. “