Cressida Dick becomes Britain’s first female top cop after being announced as the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner
The former police chief, nicknamed Harry Potter by cops and who is a favourite of Theresa May, will take on the top job in London from Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
CRESSIDA Dick has made history to be appointed as Britain's first female top cop, The Sun can reveal.
The senior diplomat is the first woman ever to hold the post of Metropolitan Police commissioner - and said the appointment was "beyond my wildest dreams"
In an appointment signed off by the Queen today, she takes over from controversial Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe who had led the force since 2011.
Highly respected Ms Dick was a senior Met officer for years, running the counter terrorism command before her move to the Foreign Office.
The hot favourite for the key job, she was picked in a joint decision by Home Secretary Amber Rudd and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
As the Home Office made the official announcement this afternoon, Londoner for 30 years Ms Dick said she was "thrilled and humbled", adding: "This is a great responsibility and an amazing opportunity.
"I’m looking forward immensely to protecting and serving the people of London and working again with the fabulous women and men of the Met.
"Thank you so much to everyone who has taught me and supported me along the way.”
And she added during a joint press conference this afternoon with the Home Secretary and London Mayor that it was "beyond my wildest dreams".
But her promotion was criticised by the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, wrongly shot dead during an anti-terror operation she led in 2005.
He was shot boarding a train at Stockwell tube station by undercover cops who had mistaken him for one of the failed bombers.
Patricia Armani da Silva, wrote on behalf of her family: “At the helm of the police on that fateful day, when the life of Jean was taken, included Cressida Dick.
“The IPCC investigation made strong criticisms of the command structure and the decision-making that took place that day.
“As a family, we have always felt that those at the highest level, the commissioner and those in operational command, should be held responsible for the mistakes and for the misinformation and lies that were told by the police.”
The family said they “cannot be expected to accept” that the most senior police officer in the country - commanding public confidence and being responsible for ensuring that no police officer acts with impunity - “be filled by someone that is clearly tainted by her failure to live up to any of those requirements.”
Ms Dick saw off three other senior police figures who were also shortlisted and interviewed yesterday and today by Ms Rudd, Mr Khan and Police Minister Brandon Lewis.
The Home Secretary branded Ms Dick "an exceptional leader" with "a clear vision for the future of the Metropolitan Police".
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Ms Rudd added: "Cressida now takes on one of the most demanding, high-profile and important jobs in UK policing, against the backdrop of a heightened terror alert and evolving threats from fraud and cyber crime.
"Her skills and insight will ensure the Metropolitan Police adapt to the changing patterns of crime in the twenty-first century and continue to keep communities safe across London and the UK.
“She is absolutely the right choice to lead the Metropolitan Police as this Government continues its work to reform the police, and I look forward to working with her to make a real difference to policing in the capital.”
She will be in charge of a £3 billion budget in London - with 43,000 staff.
Ms Dick will take over as commissioner when Hogan-Howe steps down on February 28.
Senior police sources say she now faces a major rebuilding task, as morale has hit rock bottom under Hogan-Howe's rocky reign.
A series of botched high profile probes under him ended in disaster, including celebrity paedophile witch hunt Operation Midland, the persecution of whistle blowing officers over the Plebgate furore, and the failed prosecution of 30 Sun journalists during Operation Elveden.
The 56-year-old is also popular with the rank and file in the London force, where she was affectionately nicknamed Harry Potter by some junior officers because of her faint feminine resemblance to the character played by Daniel Radcliffe.
One source told The Sun: "Cressida is the outstanding candidate in the field and crucially has the support of the Mayor’s office as well as the Home Office.
The source added: “She has always been a favourite of Mrs May from her time in the Home Office.
Ms Dick’s appointment means that three most important roles in British law enforcement will be held by women.
Along with Thornton in charge of the chief officers’ council, Lynne Owens is the director general of the National Crime Agency.
Ms Dick is the daughter of two Oxford academics and went to prestigious Balliol College before joining a large accountancy firm upon leaving university.
In a dramatic change of career, Dick joined the Metropolitan Police as a constable in 1983 and ten years later went on a fast-track promotion course at Bramshill police College.
She transferred to Thames Valley in 1995, rising to become area commander of her home city of Oxford and completed another degree in criminology at Cambridge before returning to the Met in 2001 to become head of diversity.
In 2005 Dick was commander in charge of the Met’s Operation Trident, which then investigated murders in London’s black community.
The following year she was made deputy assistant commissioner on specialist operations and in 2009 was promoted to assistant commissioner running the Specialist Crime Directorate.
Dick became assistant commissioner in charge of counter-terrorism and security in 2011.
