Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has announced the Met is restoring full-time LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers who will focus on working with LGBT+ people and organisations in London. This decision follows the Met becoming the first police force in the country to apologise for past homophobic persecution.
LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers are part of the force’s “commitment to deliver the strongest ever neighbourhood policing for London, and is a crucial part of the mission for more trust, less crime, high standards”.
The Met worked with community members and the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to create the roles, listening to feedback in conjunction with a review of the current model that showed the expectations and requirements of LGBTQ+ community liaison had changed.
“Sir Mark is backing up his apology to the LGBT+ community with concrete action.” – Peter Tatchell
A release published by the Met stated: “Incidents and investigations, including the tragic murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor, exacerbated already low levels of trust the LGBT+ community have in the Met. By introducing dedicated full-time LGBT + Community Liaison Officers, LGBT+ people will have a single point of contact in every part of London who will work to rebuild those bonds of trust.”
The new dedicated officers will work closely with colleagues who already act in a voluntary capacity to provide support and advice to their peers and the public on LGBTQ+ issues in addition to their ‘day job’.
Earlier in June, in response to a campaign by the Peter Tatchell Foundation, the Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley accepted that the Met “had systems and processes in place which have led to bias and discrimination in the way we have policed London’s communities, and in the way we have treated our officers and staff, over many decades.”
Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am clear that there is much for us to do. I am sorry to all of the communities we have let down for the failings of the past and look forward to building a new Met for London, one all Londoners can be proud of and in which they can have confidence.”
Peter Tatchell, who has been in discussions with Sir Mark Rowley, added: “Sir Mark is backing up his apology to the LGBT+ community with concrete action. It was a huge mistake to abolish these community officers, but it is great that the Met now recognises this error and is putting it right.
“Restoring these dedicated LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers will strengthen collaboration between the police and local LGBT+ communities across London. It will help the fight against homophobic hate crimes and ensure better protection for LGBT+ Londoners.
“We know from past experience that when the police have specialist officers, LGBT+ people have greater confidence and are more likely to report violent attacks, domestic violence and sexual assaults.
“These LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers are the first new initiative in the Met’s forthcoming LGBT+ plan for London. It’s positive progress after their apology for past police witch-hunts.”
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