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Menezes report response assessed Met chief defends Stockwell role
(about 6 hours later)
Top police officers will meet later to assess changes to how information is delivered, after a critical report into the Jean Charles de Menezes shooting. Britain's top policeman has been heavily criticised over the aftermath of the Metropolitan Police's shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005.
Mr Menezes was shot in July 2005 after being mistaken for a suicide bomber. Commissioner Sir Ian Blair told the force's watchdog he would not quit over the death of the Brazilian, who was mistaken for a 21 July suicide bomber.
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) will discuss attempts to address "serious weaknesses" in how information was dealt with during the operation. One member asked Mr Blair if he would quit while another accused him of not knowing where the truth lay.
The report ruled Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman failed to tell officers an innocent man may have been killed. Sir Ian admitted mistakes but said "we're not guilty of complete idiocy".
Trust 'paramount' In August the Independent Police Complaints Commission's second report into Mr De Menezes' death at Stockwell underground station, south London, found "serious weaknesses" in how the Met handled the facts in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was of "serious concern" that Mr Hayman, the UK's top counter-terrorism officer, had misled senior officers and the public over the death of Mr Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in south London. One senior officer was accused of misleading the public while others were criticised for not correcting details including claims that the 27-year-old electrician had vaulted security barriers.
Londoners must be able to trust what their police service tells them Len Duvall, MPA chairman Sir Ian himself said he did not know at the time of giving a press conference that some of his officers already doubted that the Brazilian electrician was linked to the bombers. He maintains he found out there could have been a mistake 24 hours after the death.
At the meeting today, the MPA will review the Metropolitan Police's response to the findings. Sustained attack
Len Duvall, chairman of the MPA, said the police watchdog's report contained harsh truths for both the MPA and the Met. But appearing before the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), the commissioner faced sustained attack from members who questioned his judgement.
He said: "I am confident that the whole of the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service), both individuals and the organisation, has learned lessons from this tragic event. This was not unique or unprecedented. This was foreseeable and that is what you are there for Peter Herbert, Met Police Authority
"Two years on, the MPS is now in a very different place on all issues relating to Stockwell. Richard Barnes, a member of the body, told Sir Ian he was "distressed" that the commissioner did not have the "inquiring mind" needed to get to the bottom of events.
"There are such major questions within this that I have really deep-seated concerns about the leadership of the Metropolitan Police," he said.
Sir Ian told the authority that the events of that summer were unique and put immense pressures on the police's operational capabilities.
"The situation that the Met faced on that day was, as far as we know, unprecedented anywhere in the western world," he said. "There had been no situation where a suicide bomber had been on the run."
READ THE IPCC REPORT Stockwell Two [657KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here Timeline: Shooting aftermath Send us your reaction Family 'disappointed'READ THE IPCC REPORT Stockwell Two [657KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here Timeline: Shooting aftermath Send us your reaction Family 'disappointed'
"Londoners must be able to trust what their police service tells them, especially in circumstances where they are being asked to be vigilant and maintain high levels of awareness. But another member, Peter Herbert, questioned Sir Ian's defence and asked if the commissioner would resign.
"Trust in this information is absolutely paramount and in many circumstances can be a vital message of reassurance." "Every time I hear that it was unprecedented I get slightly more cynical," said Mr Herbert. "It was not unique ¿ everyone knew this would happen after Madrid [train bombings of 2004]. This was foreseeable and that is what you are there for."
Mr Duvall said the MPA would also consider whether there needed to be further reports on how the force was dealing with information handling in a year's time. But Sir Ian said: "We got it appallingly wrong but we are not guilty of complete idiocy. My feeling is that if this happened again, the information would flow very differently."
In the autumn, a separate sub-committee is due to consider any possible disciplinary proceedings against Mr Hayman. "This was the matter that damaged public confidence in the police force and in some way I am part of that."
Policing changes
Sir Ian said that force had already changed substantially since 2005 with a new system for managing how senior officers remain aware of details in fast-moving crisis situations.
But he also warned against yet more inquiries into what went wrong. The Met faces a trial under health and safety law, an inquest and a proposed further MPA probe.
Sir Ian said: "If we plead guilty or are found guilty [in the health and safety trial] it will have a profound impact on operations in London in fast moving situations."