Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
Name	Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
Formation	2012
Headquarters	City Hall, London
Jurisdiction	Greater London
Parent agency	Greater London Authority
Chief1 name	Mayor of London
Chief1 position	Police and Crime Commissioner
Website	(official site)

Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime was established to oversee policing in London and to hold the Metropolitan Police Service to account. It sits within the Greater London Authority framework and interfaces with the Mayor of London, the London Assembly, and national bodies such as the Home Office and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The office's remit covers strategy, budgets, performance, and appointments affecting public safety across the capital.

History

The office was created in 2012 under provisions of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 following debates in the UK Parliament and interventions by figures including Boris Johnson and predecessors in the Greater London Authority. Its formation transferred functions previously held by the Metropolitan Police Authority and aligned London's oversight with police and crime commissioner models operating elsewhere after campaigns involving organisations such as the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and critiques from groups including Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. Over successive mayoralties—such as those of Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan, and interactions with Commissioners like Cressida Dick and Mark Rowley—the office's role evolved in response to events including high-profile incidents, public inquiries, and legislative reviews initiated in debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Responsibilities and Powers

The office holds statutory functions to set policing priorities through a published plan, to issue a strategic policing requirement consistent with guidance from the Home Secretary and to appoint or remove the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. It is responsible for approving the Metropolitan Police Service budget and precept proposals presented to the London Assembly and must comply with duties under acts such as the Policing Protocol Order 2011. The office liaises with national security bodies including MI5, MI6, and National Crime Agency when counterterrorism or organised crime necessitates multi-agency responses, and its decisions are informed by inspection reports from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and investigations by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Governance and Accountability

Oversight of the office is exercised through the Mayor of London as elected Police and Crime Commissioner and scrutiny by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee. The office is subject to statutory duties under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and interacts with the Home Office on national policing priorities and funding formulas debated in the Treasury. Appointment processes involve confirmation hearings with Assembly members and public accountability events analogous to proceedings in the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee and inquiries like those held after the Hillsborough disaster or other major reviews. Judicial review and investigations by bodies such as the Information Commissioner's Office can also affect transparency and decision-making.

Organisation and Staff

The office's staffing includes senior advisers, a Chief Executive, a Director of Policing, and teams responsible for crime reduction, legal services, external affairs, and performance—roles comparable to positions in the Greater London Authority and local authority chief executive structures seen in councils like Westminster City Council and Hackney London Borough Council. It maintains liaison officers to coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police, London borough councils including Camden, Islington, and Lambeth, and community stakeholders such as Victim Support and the London Victims and Witnesses Service. Senior appointments frequently attract attention from national media outlets such as the BBC and newspapers like The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.

Budget and Funding

Funding is derived from the mayoral budgetary process, including the policing precept element of council tax and grants administered through the Home Office and allocations influenced by decisions in the Treasury. The office oversees allocations to the Metropolitan Police Service capital and revenue programmes, including investment in technology, firearms units, and borough policing, and must report on spending to the London Assembly and auditors such as the National Audit Office. Financial pressures from national austerity measures debated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and emergency costs related to events involving bodies like Transport for London and national security responses have affected budget-setting and priorities.

Criticism and Controversies

The office has faced scrutiny over perceived politicisation of policing, decisions on senior police appointments such as those involving Cressida Dick and other commissioners, responses to major incidents, and the balance between counterterrorism priorities and neighborhood policing—subjects debated in venues including the London Assembly and reported by outlets like Channel 4 News and Sky News. Criticisms have arisen from advocacy groups including Liberty (human rights organization) and from inquiries by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over stop-and-search practices, use of force, and investigations concerning deaths in custody. Disputes have also involved budget cuts, workforce numbers, and the effectiveness of community engagement with organisations such as StopWatch and local mayoral advisory panels.

Relationship with Metropolitan Police and Partners

The office maintains a formal accountability relationship with the Metropolitan Police Service while partnering with a range of organisations including the City of London Police, National Crime Agency, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, and local borough councils such as Southwark and Tower Hamlets. It collaborates with national entities like the Home Office, MI5, and Crown Prosecution Service on serious crime, counterterrorism and prosecution strategies, and works with NGOs including Victim Support and faith and community networks across boroughs to deliver crime prevention initiatives similar to those run with partners such as Metropolitan Housing Trust and educational institutions like University College London. The office's strategic plans often reference multi-agency frameworks used in major events management alongside Transport for London and emergency services coordination models.

Category:Law enforcement in London