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City of London Chamber Hosts Event on Women's Safety and Cyber Security

The City of London Chamber recently hosted a significant event at the Guildhall, where senior leaders from the City of London Police, including Police Commissioner Pete O'Doherty, Detective Inspector Charlie Morrison, and Chief Superintendent Sanjay Andersen, addressed pressing issues related to women’s safety and cyber security in the Square Mile.

CoL Chamber Security event speakers
L-R: Alderman Prem Goyal OBE, Advisor, Hinduja Group, Pete O'Doherty, Police Commissioner, Sanjay Andersen, Chief Superintendent, Charlie Morrison, Detective Inspector.

A key focus of the discussion was the increasing complexity of cyber threats. O'Doherty emphasized that one of the primary challenges facing law enforcement today is dealing with “high-volume, high-sophistication threats.” He stressed the need for collective action to secure the community, adding that artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the nature of these threats, especially as it undermines trust in audio and visual content and allows for increasingly refined attacks. 

One of the police’s key initiatives in the realm of cyber security is Cyber Griffin. This project aims to prevent crime before it happens by being actively involved in the community. According to Detective Inspector Charlie Morrison, Cyber Griffin focuses on teaching simple yet functional ways to protect businesses, with an added emphasis on AI in its new module. Over its seven years of operation, it has trained around 6,000 individuals in the City of London, helping businesses prepare to respond calmly and efficiently in the event of a cybercrime. 

The event then turned its focus to women's safety in the City of London. O'Doherty introduced Chief Superintendent Sanjay Andersen, who highlighted that many women in the city do not feel safe. Andersen laid out the three pillars of the police’s strategy to address this concern: restoring trust and confidence in the police, relentlessly pursuing offenders, and creating safe spaces. 

Police Commissioner Pete O'Doherty giving his speech.
Police Commissioner Pete O'Doherty giving his speech.

Building trust starts with the training of police staff, specifically through the Inclusivity Programme, which equips officers with practical tools to handle incidents like low-level racism, misogyny, and sexism—issues that, while not classified as serious crimes, have profound effects on victims. Recognising that trust is also shaped by internal police culture, Andersen mentioned that the force is actively reviewing cases from the past 25 years to address any issues of misconduct, including instances where police officers used their position to commit violence or sexual offenses.  

The second pillar involves ensuring the consistent pursuit and apprehension of offenders, holding them accountable for their actions. Finally, creating safer spaces for women includes initiatives such as Walk and Talk, where officers engage directly with women, offering to walk with them through the city to enhance their sense of safety. 

The highly popular event concluded with a discussion of future challenges, including the impact of geopolitical conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, on public safety and infrastructure. 

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