November 21

November 21, 2005: Former Met Commissioner Calls for Death Penalty

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens has called for capital punishment to be reinstated for those who kill police officers. He was responding to the murder of WPC Sharon Beshenivsky in the course of an armed raid on a Bradford travel agents’ premises. WPC Beshenivsky is the first policewoman to be murdered in the line of duty since WPC Yvonne Fletcher was shot at the Libyan embassy in London 1984.

Lord Stevens wrote in yesterday’s 'News of the World' that:

"All my life I've been against the death penalty. But after the cold-blooded murder of policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky, I've changed my mind. For the first time in my life, despite 40 years at the sharp end of policing, I finally see no alternative. Such an extreme act of pure evil can only be met by the most extreme of responses - and that can only be death.”

"I never thought I'd say this, but I am now convinced that the monster who executed this young woman in cold blood should, in turn, be killed as punishment for this crime. For the first time in my life, despite 40 years at the sharp end of policing, I finally see no alternative.Such an extreme act of pure evil can only be met by the most extreme of responses - and that can only be death."

Lord Stevens now believes that if death penalty is not imposed then:

"wrong really has finally totally triumphed over right, and all civilised society, all we hold dear, is the loser".

Lord Stevens can call on a wide range of experience in policing. He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service in 1991 and during his career has been commended on 27 occasions for outstanding detective ability or courage. He was Metropolitan Police Commissioner until February 2005. He served in the Police for 42 years. He began his career in the Metropolitan Police where he was involved in a range of activities from leading successful murder enquiries and leadership of crime squads, and was commander of the busiest CID office in London. In 1986 he was became Assistant Chief Constable of Hampshire Police, then l3 years later he was appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary. In 1991, he became Chief Constable of Northumbria Police. In September 1996 he was appointed one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary. He took up his post as Commissioner in February 2000.

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