Met chief hits out at 'armchair commentators' who film officers

Sir Mark Rowley said officers are becoming targets of abuse

The head of the Metropolitan Police, Britain's biggest police force, has criticised "armchair commentators" who film on-duty officers.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley claimed the prospect of frequently being filmed and critiqued on social media might put off future police recruits.

Writing on LinkedIn, he said: "The reality is that policing is complex, challenging and can look messy."

He said officers regularly found themselves caught up in public debate.

Sir Mark said: "We expect officers to arrive on scene quickly and act with limited information based on what they see.

"They don't have the benefit of being able to watch a full incident unfold before deciding what to do, they have to be decisive and act quickly.

'Film their every moment'

"And they do so in the glare of hundreds of people ready to film their every moment."

He added: "There aren't many professions where from the minute you arrive at an incident to the minute you leave, you are filmed and then critiqued by an army of armchair commentators."

He praised the "resilience" of officers, adding they were "turning up day and night knowing that whenever they get out of a vehicle more and more cameras are focusing on their actions".

He added: "But we shouldn't underestimate the toll this has on them and their families, and how off-putting it is to the next generation who may think: 'Why would I put myself through that?'."

• Met chief 'deeply concerned' over officer shortfall

Sir Mark said it was now a regular occurrence for officers to find themselves caught in the middle of public debate, "being accused of being both woke and fascist for the exact same actions".

He said officers were starting to become "direct targets for abuse" both online and in person, citing an officer who had posted a picture of herself online at a firearms event on International Women's Day.

The commissioner said that over the weekend, 12 officers were hurt while on duty, including one who was hit over the head with a bottle and another who was stabbed in the hand.

Last month, Sir Mark warned the Met Police was facing a "deeply concerning" shortfall in officer numbers amid recruitment struggles.

The Met has also suffered severe reputational damage in recent years, including then-serving officer Wayne Couzens committing kidnap, rape and murder in March 2021, and fellow police marksman David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

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