Organisation and structure of the Metropolitan Police

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Mounted MPS officer outside Buckingham Palace, London

The Metropolitan Police of Greater London is organised into four main directorates, each with differing responsibilities. These are Frontline Policing (formally Territorial Policing), Met Operations (formerly Specialist Crime & Operations), Specialist Operations, Professionalism and six civilian staffed support departments under the umbrella of Met Headquarters.[1] Each is overseen by an Assistant Commissioner, or in the case of a support department a director of police staff which is the equivalent civilian grade.

The Management Board, responsible for the strategic direction of the MPS is composed of the senior police leadership including the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, the four Assistant Commissioners (for Met Operations, Frontline Policing, Specialist Operations and Professionalism) and five directors.[1]

Leadership[]

The senior leadership rank-holders of the MPS currently are:[2][3]

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 Queen.[5]

Frontline Policing[]

The Frontline Policing Directorate, formerly known as Territorial Policing, is commanded by Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave, 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.

Basic Command Units (BCU)[]

Historically the Metropolitan Police District's territory was divided into divisions grouped into districts and later districts grouped into areas. In 2000 this was replaced by a system of one Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) for each of the thirty-two post-1965 London boroughs, each commanded by a chief superintendent.[6] 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 all 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.[7]

Each BCU is provided with:

  • Emergency Response & Patrol Team (ERPT): Provides the majority of the physical responses to 999 or 101 calls, primarily investigates volume crime
  • Local Resolution Team (LRT): Provides remote investigation and resolution work for non-crime incidents or incidents not requiring an immediate physical response
  • Criminal Investigation Department (CID): Detectives investigate more serious and complex crimes beyond the scope of ERPT's
  • Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs): Made up of uniformed officers and PCSOs who are responsible for local long term community interaction and problem solving.
  • (VSU): Plain-clothes officers dedicated to specific BCUs, aimed at reducing street crime.
  • Telephone and Digital Investigation Unit (TDIU): Provides initial over-the-phone investigation of crime; it is either resolved or passed on to the other teams for further investigation

The 12 BCU structure consists of the following boroughs:

  1. Central West BCU (AW) – Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster
  2. South West BCU (SW) – Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Wandsworth
  3. South BCU (SN) – Bromley, Croydon, Sutton
  4. South East BCU (SE) – Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham
  5. East BCU (EA) – Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge
  6. West BCU (WA) – Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow
  7. Central South BCU (AS) – Lambeth, Southwark
  8. North BCU (NA) – Enfield, Haringey
  9. Central East BCU (CE) – Hackney, Tower Hamlets
  10. Central North BCU (CN) - Camden, Islington
  11. North West BCU (NW) – Barnet, Brent, Harrow
  12. North East BCU (NE) – Newham, Waltham Forest

There has been significant concerns raised in various quarters over these changes.[8][9][10]

Non-BCU Frontline Policing[]

As of February 2019 the non-BCU units within Frontline Policing were:[11]

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

Met Operations[]

Met Operations, also known as Met Ops, is one of the four 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. The group is currently led by Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe.

It consists of several branches:[12]

Specialist Operations[]

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 currently headed by Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, with two deputy assistant commissioners and a further three commanders.[14]

SO is currently organised into three commands:[12]

Protection Command[]

Split into the following specialist operational areas:[12]

Security Command[]

Security Command is currently headed by Commander Simon Dobinson. The command comprises:[12]

  • (SOAP)
  • 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.

Counter Terrorism Command[]

Main article: Counter Terrorism Command

Formed by the merger of Special Branch and the Anti-Terrorist Branch. 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.

Digital and Technology[]

Formerly known as Digital Policing and falling under Met Headquarters, this is now headed by Angus McCallum, a chief digital and technology officer of director grade.[2] Below him are three furthers directors, one each for:[2]

  • Service Delivery
  • Technology and Business Engagement
  • Solution Delivery

Met Headquarters[]

Currently headed by the Chief of Corporate Services Robin Wilkinson, its senior team currently includes a CONNECT SRO, a director without portfolio, a deputy assistant commissioner (Corporate Services) and a director each for:[2]

  • Media and Communication
  • Legal Services
  • Human Resources
  • Strategy & Governance
  • Transformation[f]
  • Property Services (formerly known as Portfolio and Planning)
  • Finance
  • Commercial

Its remit also includes Shared Support Services.[15]

Film Unit[]

The MPS Film Unit was launched within Shared Support Services in 2006[16] and manages the commercial filming schedule across London on behalf of local councils and major production companies including MGM 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.[17]

Police officer strength by rank[]

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

Date Constable Sergeant Inspector Ch. inspector Superintendent Ch. superintendent ACPO rank Total
31 March 2010[18] 24,788 6,069 1,695 475 217 86 37 33,367
31 March 2011[19] 24,595 5,583 1,503 448 196 81 34 32,441
31 March 2012[20] 24,328 5,494 1,641 362 201 79 35 32,140
31 March 2013[21] 23,283 4,982 1,442 452 157 72 31 30,398
31 March 2014[22] 24,420 4,644 1,235 422 109 73 29 30,932
31 March 2015[23] 25,851 4,321 1,103 333 165 76 29 31,877
31 March 2016[24] 25,787 4,548 1,261 279 159 62 29 32,125
31 March 2018[25] 24,149 4,456 1,234 275 197 46 34 30,390

Total workforce[]

The following table gives the workforce numbers in the MPS.

Date Staff members PCSOs Police officers Total Special constables
31 March 2010 14,179 4,645 33,367 52,191 3,177
31 March 2011 13,688 4,009 32,441 50,138 4,944
31 March 2012 12,751 2,760 32,140 47,651 5,752
31 March 2013 12,328 2,684 30,398 45,410 5,303
31 March 2014 11,303 2,087 30,932 44,322 4,587
31 March 2015 10,599 1,787 31,877 44,263 3,659
31 March 2016 9,521 1,626 32,125 43,272 3,271

Notes[]

  1. ^ Consisting of Territorial Support Group, the Marine Policing Unit, the Dog Support Unit and Mounted Branch
  2. ^ Internal
  3. ^ External[13]
  4. ^ Previously SO19 then CO19
  5. ^ Responsible for providing a firearms-response capability, assisting the rest of the MPS, which is normally unarmed.
  6. ^ Assisted by Assistant Commissioner (Transformation) Matt Jukes

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Home – The Met". content.met.police.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Executive Structure" (PDF). Metropolitan Police. November 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Senior Management Team". Metropolitan Police. 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Cressida Dick makes history". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Home Office – police". Government of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Metropolitan Police Service – Organisational Structure". Metropolitan Police Service. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Met announces changes to local policing". Mynewsdesk. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Nearly 1,500 people sign petition to 'save' Sutton police after controversial merger plans". News Shopper. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Borough-based policing commands to disappear in London-wide cost cutting plan | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Met to merge all policing boroughs". BBC News. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Organisational Structure of Frontline Policing & Professionalism". Metropolitan Police Service. 28 January 2019. Freedom of Information Request 01/FOI/18/000467. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d "Structure of Met Operations & Specialist Operations". Metropolitan Police Service. 4 December 2018. Freedom of Information Request 2018110000484. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/18/000470". WhatDoTheyKnow. Metropolitan Police Service. p. 1. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019. The Unit is still known as SCO19 Specialist Firearms Command.
  14. ^ https://beta.met.police.uk/globalassets/downloads/about-the-met/met_organisational_chart_february2017.pdf[bare URL]
  15. ^ "MPS Executive Structure". met.police.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  16. ^ "Film Unit - Metropolitan Police Service". Archived from the original on 23 February 2013.
  17. ^ Policy for Filming in London, Metropolitan Police Service. Retrieved 25 October 2012
  18. ^ http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1410/hosb1410?view=Binary[bare URL]
  19. ^ http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb1311/hosb1311?view=Binary[bare URL]
  20. ^ http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb0912/hosb0912?view=Binary[bare URL]
  21. ^ Home Office (18 July 2013). Tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2013'.
  22. ^ Home Office (17 July 2014). Tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2014'.
  23. ^ Home Office (16 July 2015). Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2015: data tables.
  24. ^ Home Office (21 July 2016). Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2016. See data tables. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  25. ^ "Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2018". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
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