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Metropolitan Police Service

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is commonly known as the Met and is responsible for law enforcement in 32 London boroughs.

However, the City of London - also known as the 'square mile' - is policed by the City of London Police.

City of London Police | City of London Police
City of London Police | Wikipedia

The Met also national responsibilities including such as counter-terrorism, protecting the Royal Family, and members of Government. The Met also has some unique responsibilities such as protecting foreign embassies policing Heathrow Airport, and policing and protecting the Palace of Westminster and handling protests and events.

Metropolitan Police Service | Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service | Wikipedia

All change in 2017

In an attempt to save money, the area MPS covers (or Metropolitan Police District) was divided into 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs). Each BCU is comprised of two, three, or even four boroughs. There has been widespread criticism of this radical shakeup.

Basic Command Units

• Central West BCU: Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster
• South West BCU: Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth
• South BCU: Bromley, Croydon and Sutton
• South East: Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham
• East BCU: Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge
• West BCU: Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow
• Central South: Lambeth and Southwark
• North BCU: Enfield and Haringey
• Central East BCU: Hackney and Tower Hamlets
• Central North BCU: Camden and Islington
• North West BCU: Barnet, Brent and Harrow
• North East BCU: Newham and Waltham Forest

News articles

Only 40% of people in England trust their police force, research reveals | The Guardian | 18 Apr 2024
Met Police: Safer neighbourhood officer numbers down by two thirds since 2015 | BBC | 29 Oct 2023
Gang attacked gay couple in broad daylight as onlookers did nothing | LGBTQ Nation | 6 Oct 2023
Met Police officer sacked over homophobic comments and ‘psychological harm’ of female colleagues | Pink News | 7 Sep 2023
The head of London's Metropolitan Police apologised to the city's LGBT+ community for the failings of the past | Openly | 8 Jun 2023
Every theft must be investigated, home secretary tells police | BBC News | 28 Aug 2023
Clarity needed on decision to keep Uxbridge Police Station open | London Assembly | 6 Jul 2023
Met officers charged over alleged messages in Wayne Couzens WhatsApp group | The Guardian | 17 Feb 2022
Met Police: Some officers are racist, professional standards chief admits | BBC | 15 Feb 2022
 Met commander who wrote drugs strategy faces sack for taking drugs | The Guardian | 14 Feb 2022
 Met Police chief says ‘nasty’ homophobia, racism and misogyny ‘risks force losing public consent’ | Pink News | 7 Feb 2022
New police CCTV use rules criticised as bare bones | BBC News | 17 Aug 2021
Dalian Atkinson: manslaughter conviction for PC but ‘justice’ for police violence remains elusive | The Conversation | 29 Jun 2021
Power of protest: The policing bill has been delayed | Huck 19 Mar 2021
 'Toxic culture of sexism' in police, says former police chief | BBC News | 17 Mar 2021
Stop and search: Six Met PCs disciplined after almost 5,000 complaints | BBC News | 1 Feb 2021
Why do the police exist? | Novara Media | 20 Jun 2020
 Police taking 'excessive' data from mobile phones | BBC News | 18 Jun 2020
 Met Police to deploy facial recognition cameras | BBC | 30 Jan 2020 
Facial recognition: EU considers ban of up to five years | BBC News | 17 Jan 2020
Live facial recognition surveillance 'must stop' | BBC News | 18 Sep 2019
Met Police gave images for King's Cross facial recognition scans | BBC News | 6 Sep 2019

 COVID-19: Police officers fined for breaking lockdown rules by having hair cuts | Sky News | 26 Jan 2021 | 2m 5s