Information relating to Mr Mohammed Kozbar

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.036830

I note you seek access to the following information:

On 24 February 2024, it was reported that the Metropolitan Police Force terminated its engagement with advisor, Mr Mohammed Kozbar, in February 2024.

Please confirm:
1. When was Mr Kozbar engaged as an advisor?
2. The exact date on which the Metropolitan Police Service (“MPS”) terminated its engagement with Mr Kozbar.
3. Why the MPS terminated its engagement with Mr Kozbar.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Thank you for your interest in our Community Engagement. I would like to begin our response by explaining that one of the core engagement mechanisms we rely on to help understand community views are Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs). There are both geographically based IAGs (one for each London Borough) and thematically based IAGs for our business groups. There are also pan London IAGs covering topics such as race, LGBT+ matters and more. More information on our Community Engagement can be found in this published document
Met Community Engagement Handbook 2022.pdf.

Q1 - When was Mr Kozbar engaged as an advisor?

As set out in the Community Engagement Handbook, the MPS engage with a number of IAGs in order to better understand the perspectives of the communities we serve. Mr Kozbar is Chair of the Finsbury Park Mosque and Vice President of the Muslim Association of Britain. In early 2023 he was elected as Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. The MPS liaison with IAGs takes place at various levels, from local beat officers to Senior Leaders and evolves over time so there is no formal start date recorded for engaging with specific members of the group.

Q2 - The exact date on which the Metropolitan Police Service (“MPS”) terminated its engagement with Mr Kozbar.

As explained the MPS engage with IAGs rather than with individuals however in respect of this matter we have been able to confirm that engagement was terminated on 24 February 2024.

Q3 - Why the MPS terminated its engagement with Mr Kozbar.

The Met took a decision to cease engagement with Mr Kozbar as an advisor after a social media post from late January 2024 was brought to our attention and reviewed.

I can confirm that the MPS are completing a review of our IAGs and part of this is the creation of a new Strategic Engagement Hub. We are also conducting a review of IAGs and scrutiny groups together with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).