A number of news outlets have reported on the news that Cressida Dick, the officer in charge of the ill- fated operation which resulted in the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, has been promoted to a key job overseeing royalty protection.
It comes as no surprise that many of these reports contain further attacks on Ms Dick and London’s police by relatives of Mr de Menezes.
London is a tolerant and compassionate city and there cannot be many who lack sympathy for the family but it’s now time for such attacks to stop and for all parties to move on.
The death of de Menezes was a tragic mistake but one which must be seen against the backdrop of heightened sensitivity and security.
None of the officers involved started their day with the intention of contributing to the death of an innocent man. Each was, in the midst of widespread public concern and intrusive media coverage, doing their best to protect the people of London from another terrorist atrocity.
Those who attack this promotion would do more for the cause of transparent policing by campaigning against the thousands of deliberate executions carried each year out by the Brazilian police.
