Deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens to retire

After over 35 years of service, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Dame Lynne Owens, has announced her retirement.

She began her career in the Met in 1989 as a constable in Catford, before moving to Kent Police to rise up the ranks and then moving to Surrey Police in 2002. Here, she became the first female chief constable of Surrey Police and director general of the National Crime Agency, as well as being aware the Queen’s Police Medal in the 2008 New Years Honours for her service.

She returned to the Met in 2009 as a deputy assistant commissioner, then was promoted the following year to assistant commissioner, the second woman ever to hold the position in the Met’s history. She became Surrey Police’s first woman chief constable in 2011, and in 2015 became the most senior woman in British policing when she was appointed as director general of the National Crime Agency by then home secretary Theresa May.

Although she retired in 2021, she retuned to the Met almost three years ago as deputy commissioner to support the then newly appointed commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.

Dame Lynne, who will retire in May, said: “It has been an honour and privilege to return to the Met to support Sir Mark in making the changes that were needed, and which crucially were wanted by our officers and staff.

“I am proud of the progress we have made and our people deserve so much credit for their role in identifying what needed to be done and then delivering that for Londoners.

“Of course, there remains much, much more to do and I know my successor, once appointed, will build on what we have achieved so far.”