Former Police Commissioner Mike Bush in running for top job at Scotland Yard

Friday, 13 May 2022

Former Police Commissioner Mike Bush is in the running to become the head of London’s metropolitan police force.

Former New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush is in the running to become the new head of London’s metropolitan police force.

When contacted by Stuff , Bush said he did not want to comment.

“Thanks for the inquiry, however I don't think it is appropriate for me to make any public commentary so early on in the process.”

The role of commissioner at Scotland Yard has been vacated by Dame Cressida Dick, who resigned in February. Dick served in the role since 2017, but faced criticisms the force was plagued with misogyny, discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment – revealed in a report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, also released in February this year.

Police Association president Chris Cahill said Mike Bush’s candidacy was an “interesting proposition”.

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London Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick stood down from the top role in February.

Bush served as a police officer for 42 years in New Zealand, and was commissioner between April 2014 and April 2020, heading the force when the Christchurch mosque attacks occurred in 2019 and Whakaari/White Island erupted the same year.

During his tenure, Bush introduced a new “prevention first” model to the force, aimed at focusing on preventing crime.

Members of the public attend a vigil organised by feminist group Sisters Uncut outside New Scotland Yard on March 14, last year. Hundreds of people turned out in Clapham Common on Saturday night to pay tribute to Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London resident who died at the hands of an off-duty metropolitan police officer.

He would be the first foreign leader of a British police force if he was successful, according to The Times. The role has been open to Commonwealth candidates.

Police Association president Chris Cahill said it was an “interesting proposition”.

Commissioner Mike Bush says police can track those returning from overseas through their smartphones, but only with their consent. (First published April 2020)

It was unusual for a foreigner to head a top police force job, though it occasionally happened. No other New Zealander had applied for the level of this position before, he said.

The Irish Garda’s second-in-command is a Canadian, Shawna Coxon. She was appointed to the role in February 2021 after serving as Toronto’s deputy police chief.

Cahill said there were definite transferrable skills moving between different forces.

He said Bush had experience implementing a new strategy, prevention first, across the force, as well as implementing leadership training and cultural change. The British and New Zealand justice system also operated under the same model of common law, he said.

But the UK had multiple police forces, and every force would have its own, distinct challenges which would be different to each other, and different to New Zealand.

“That’s the biggest challenge I think, does he actually understand and have a full grip of what those of what those issues are that he could deliver the change to?”

On the other hand, a new face might not have the same institutional baggage as a more entrenched candidate.

“A fresh-face can be interesting, but you can spend a lot of time fighting those who won’t like the idea of people coming in from outside, and that can disrupt someone trying to do the job.”

A former assistant commissioner at the Met, Sir Mark Rowley, who also led counter-terrorism policing, is also thought to be in the running.