This resource is from the News section. This page contains press release 47/01, which contains a statement from the Chair of the MPA's Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring committee.

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Statement by Richard Sumray, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee

47/01
4 July 2001

Response to a news report today that senior officers had urged the Metropolitan Police to shut down gangland murder investigations after two weeks if there are no suspects or evidence to save money:

"London is one of the safest cities in the world, of which we can all be proud, and we need to maintain that position, and ultimately work towards our goal of making it the safest major city in the world.

"Therefore, the length of murder investigations should not be determined or compromised by the victim's background, but by proper law enforcement being done and being seen to be done. No one should think that they have a licence to murder.

"We have seen the terrible effect this type of murder has on the families of victims and their communities in London, and know only too well the urgent need to detect and deter them. It is for this reason that Operation Trident, which tackles black on black gun crime, has been so successful and so well supported by everyone. To loosen our grip now on the perpetrators of these wicked crimes, whoever their victims may be, would be utter folly."

Notes to editors

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