Organisation and structure of the Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police of Greater London, England is organised into five main directorates, each headed by an Assistant Commissioner, and four civilian-staffed support departments previously under the umbrella of Met Headquarters, each headed by a Chief Officer, the equivalent civilian grade to Assistant Commissioner. Each business groups or directorate has differing responsibilities. The commands are Frontline Policing (formerly Territorial Policing), Met Operations (formerly Specialist Crime & Operations), Specialist Operations and Professionalism.^[1][2]

The Management Board, responsible for the strategic direction of the MPS, is composed of the senior police leadership including the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, the five Assistant Commissioners (for Met Operations, Frontline Policing, Specialist Operations and Professionalism) and four Chief Officers.^[2]

As of October 2023^[update] the senior leadership rank-holders of the MPS are:^[3][4]

The highest rank in the MPS is that of the Commissioner, the operational leader; however the MPS is accountable to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime on a pan-London basis and the Home Secretary on a national policing basis.

Appointments to the most senior ranks of assistant commissioner and above are made in consultation with the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary, with the appointment of the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner being formally made by the monarch.^[6] Rebecca George and Brian Paddick were added as non-executive directors in October 2023.^[5]

The Frontline Policing Directorate, formerly known as Territorial Policing, is commanded by Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, who is responsible for providing the day-to-day local policing of Greater London (excluding the City of London), the police area defined in legislation as the Metropolitan Police District.

Historically the Metropolitan Police District's territory was divided into divisions grouped into districts and later divisions grouped into areas. In 2000 this was replaced by a system of one Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) for each of the 32 post-1965 London boroughs, each commanded by a chief superintendent.^[7] In early 2018, largely due to police funding constraints, it was announced that there would be a radical shake up of local policing in London to replace the BOCUs established in 2000. Over the following 12 months each of the 32 BOCUs would be merged with others to form 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs). This followed a trial of two 'pathfinder' BCUs, Central North BCU consisting of the old Islington and Camden BOCUs, and the East Area BCU consisting of the old Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge BOCUs.^[8]

Each BCU is provided with:

• Risk and Demand Team (RAD): Responsible for recording anti-social behaviour incidents, recording non-urgent reports, and liaises with other agencies.
• Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs): Responsible for patrolling and dealing with long-term issues in each neighbourhood, or 'ward'. Investigates neighbour-related incidents and anti-social behaviour that reaches a threshold.
• Response Team: Responsible for patrolling and responding to calls for service and investigating volume crime.
• Local Investigations (LI): Responsible for investigating serious and complex investigations outside of the remit of Safer Neighbourhoods or Response. Also has an oversight for serious developing incidents, such as kidnaps, stabbings, and shootings.
• Public Protection: Responsible for investigating and prosecuting domestic abuse crimes.
• Child Abuse Investigation Team: Responsible for investigating crimes against minors where the suspect is a family member or in a position of power or responsibility, such as a teacher or child minder.

The 12 BCU structure consists of the following boroughs:

There has been significant concerns raised in various quarters over these changes.^[9][10][11]

As of February 2019 the non-BCU units within Frontline Policing were:^[12]

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• Royal Parks Operational Command Unit
• Crime Recording Investigation Bureau (CRIB)
• Frontline Policing Headquarters
• Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command
• Specialist Crime Command
• Online Child Sexual Exploitation
• Organised Crime
• Trident

Met Operations or Met Ops is one of the eight business groups which forms the Metropolitan Police Service. It was created during the 2018–19 restructuring of the service, amalgamating much of its functions from the previous Specialist Crime & Operations Directorate. As of 2023^[update] the group is led by Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist.

It consists of several branches:^[13]

Specialist Operations (SO) is a directorate of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for providing specialist policing capabilities. Until Sir Kenneth Newman's restructuring of the Metropolitan Police, SO comprised twenty units, but after the restructuring most of them were absorbed by Central Operations (now Met Operations).

SO is headed by an Assistant Commissioner (Matt Jukes as of 2023^[update]), with two deputy assistant commissioners and three commanders.^[15]

SO is currently organised into three commands:^[13]

Headed by Commander Simon Messinger as of 2024,^[16] it is split into the following specialist operational areas:^[13]

• Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP)
• Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP)

Security Command is headed by a Commander (as of 2024^[update] Elisabeth Chapple as Acting Commander^[16]). The command comprises:^[13]

• Aviation Security Operational Unit (SO18)
• Protective Security Operations – ensures that there are adequate protective security arrangements in place for major events, crowded places, iconic sites and that key utilities and sites where hazardous substances are located are securely protected.

Formed by the merger of Special Branch and the Anti-Terrorist Branch, it is headed as of 2024 by Commander Dom Murphy.^[16] The priority of this command is to keep the public safe and to ensure that London remains a hostile environment for terrorists. Their responsibilities include bringing to justice anyone engaged in terrorism or related offences, preventing and disrupting terrorist activity, gathering and exploiting intelligence on terrorism and extremism in London.

It was first formed as an anti-corruption department by Commissioner Robert Mark in 1971,^[17] known as A10 or the Complaints Investigation Bureau (CIB).^[18] This was reorganised into the Directorate of Professional Standards under an Assistant Commissioner after changes to the police regulations and the way complaints were handled after the Police Reform Act 2002. It was renamed Professionalism in 2014, still under an Assistant Commissioner.^[1] It consists of officers and civilian staff and as of 2023 its commands or departments are:

• Anti-corruption and Abuse (headed by a Commander; already added to the Directorate in October 2022^[19][1])
• Profession, Crime Prevention, Inclusion and Engagement (headed by a Commander)
• Professional Standards (headed by a Deputy Assistant Commissioner)
• Profession, DPS, Misconduct (headed by a Commander)
• Legal Services (headed by the Chief Legal Officer; taken on from Met Headquarters on the latter's dissolution)

It focuses on standards of professional conduct for officers, and the enforcement of them, in leadership and supervision, security of information and intelligence, recognition of the diversity of communities and staff, identifying and reacting to organisational and individual learning, and maintaining the threat of detection, prevention and management of risk.

Its duty is wider than the issues of complaints and corruption. There are obligations to treat staff fairly and to be seen as an employer of choice, thus the highest standards must be applied to internal processes as well. In order to achieve this it has been expanded^[when?] to encompass employment tribunals, civil actions against the Commissioner and the vetting of staff.

From 2023 this department covered the duties formerly covered by a Department of Media and Communication within Met Headquarters.^[1] It is headed by a Chief Communication and Engagement Officer (as of October Sharon Sawers).^[1]

The MPS Film Unit was launched in 2006 within Shared Support Services (now merged into Operational Support Services)^[20] and manages the commercial filming schedule across London on behalf of local councils and major production companies as well as producers for various film and TV commercials. The Film Unit is based in Southwark and is maintained by current serving police officers. The unit provides operational officers to ensure security for film companies and the general public. It is part of the Film London Partnership which is supported by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and Film London.^[21]

Formerly known as Digital Policing and falling under Met Headquarters, this is led by the Chief Digital and Technology Officer (Darren Scates, as of 2023^[update]), who heads directors for:^[1]

• Service Delivery
• Technology and Business Engagement
• Solution Delivery

From 2023 this department covered the duties formerly covered by a Departments of Finance, of Commercial, of Property Services and of Human Resources within Met Headquarters.^[1] It is headed by a Chief People and Resources Officer (as of October 2023 Clare Davies).^[1]

The following table gives the police strength in the MPS by rank.

The following table gives the workforce numbers in the MPS.

Strategy and Transformation took over the duties formerly covered by Departments of Transformation and of Strategy and Governance within Met Headquarters and is headed by a Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer (as of October 2023 Adrian Scott).^[1]