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Metropolitan Police Service

police force · England · code E23000001

The Home Office counted 31,495 full-time equivalent police officers at Metropolitan Police Service on 31 March 2026. That is up 1% from 31,128 on 31 March 2007.

Metropolitan Police Service recorded 916,963 crimes, excluding fraud, in April 2025 to March 2026, according to the Home Office. That is up 23% from 743,833 in April 2012 to March 2013.

Metropolitan Police Service carried out 144,063 stop and searches in April 2025 to March 2026, the Home Office reports.

Across the 20 years shown, the Home Office's full-time equivalent count of officers at Metropolitan Police Service was lowest at 30,390 (31 March 2018) and highest at 34,899 (31 March 2023).

Officers and staff

Police officers (full-time equivalent)
31,495
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Includes officers on career breaks or seconded into the force; excludes those seconded out to central services.
Police staff and designated officers (full-time equivalent)
11,854
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Police community support officers (full-time equivalent)
1,398
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Special constables (headcount)
1,023
31 March 2026 · Home Office
35k30k 31 March 200731 March 2026
15k8,622 31 March 200731 March 2026
4,6451,170 31 March 200731 March 2026
5,7521,023 31 March 200731 March 2026
Police officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 200731,128
31 March 200831,460
31 March 200932,610
31 March 201033,367
31 March 201132,441
31 March 201232,140
31 March 201330,398
31 March 201430,932
31 March 201532,252
31 March 201632,125
31 March 201731,517
31 March 201830,390
31 March 201930,436
31 March 202032,199
31 March 202132,954
31 March 202233,984
31 March 202334,899
31 March 202434,315
31 March 202533,293
31 March 202631,495
Police staff and designated officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 200714,187
31 March 200814,286
31 March 200914,417
31 March 201014,504
31 March 201114,127
31 March 201213,286
31 March 201313,048
31 March 201411,998
31 March 201511,493
31 March 201610,166
31 March 20178,915
31 March 20188,622
31 March 20199,107
31 March 20209,524
31 March 20219,970
31 March 20229,992
31 March 202310,481
31 March 202411,068
31 March 202511,598
31 March 202611,854
Police community support officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 20073,694
31 March 20084,247
31 March 20094,594
31 March 20104,645
31 March 20114,009
31 March 20122,760
31 March 20132,684
31 March 20142,087
31 March 20151,827
31 March 20161,626
31 March 20171,442
31 March 20181,315
31 March 20191,255
31 March 20201,264
31 March 20211,264
31 March 20221,170
31 March 20231,215
31 March 20241,379
31 March 20251,455
31 March 20261,398
Special constables (headcount)
31 March 20071,741
31 March 20082,510
31 March 20092,606
31 March 20103,177
31 March 20114,944
31 March 20125,752
31 March 20135,303
31 March 20144,587
31 March 20153,659
31 March 20163,271
31 March 20172,661
31 March 20182,246
31 March 20191,860
31 March 20201,841
31 March 20211,868
31 March 20221,850
31 March 20231,552
31 March 20241,321
31 March 20251,105
31 March 20261,023

Recorded crime

Recorded crime (excluding fraud)
916,963
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded violence against the person
249,094
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded theft offences
420,791
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded sexual offences
28,054
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded robbery
32,421
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
944k699k 2012/132025/26
251k125k 2012/132025/26
472k307k 2012/132025/26
28k9,644 2012/132025/26
40k22k 2012/132025/26
Recorded crime (excluding fraud)
April 2012 to March 2013743,833
April 2013 to March 2014698,729
April 2014 to March 2015700,886
April 2015 to March 2016740,605
April 2016 to March 2017775,540
April 2017 to March 2018821,736
April 2018 to March 2019863,837
April 2019 to March 2020906,062
April 2020 to March 2021744,224
April 2021 to March 2022830,824
April 2022 to March 2023881,856
April 2023 to March 2024931,638
April 2024 to March 2025944,158
April 2025 to March 2026916,963
Recorded violence against the person
April 2012 to March 2013125,302
April 2013 to March 2014128,556
April 2014 to March 2015161,058
April 2015 to March 2016185,560
April 2016 to March 2017192,429
April 2017 to March 2018200,877
April 2018 to March 2019215,722
April 2019 to March 2020220,894
April 2020 to March 2021217,208
April 2021 to March 2022240,754
April 2022 to March 2023240,379
April 2023 to March 2024251,073
April 2024 to March 2025235,378
April 2025 to March 2026249,094
Recorded theft offences
April 2012 to March 2013425,602
April 2013 to March 2014385,970
April 2014 to March 2015351,053
April 2015 to March 2016355,367
April 2016 to March 2017374,455
April 2017 to March 2018403,327
April 2018 to March 2019428,722
April 2019 to March 2020448,926
April 2020 to March 2021306,871
April 2021 to March 2022360,288
April 2022 to March 2023412,190
April 2023 to March 2024448,514
April 2024 to March 2025472,430
April 2025 to March 2026420,791
Recorded sexual offences
April 2012 to March 20139,644
April 2013 to March 201411,122
April 2014 to March 201514,729
April 2015 to March 201616,071
April 2016 to March 201717,853
April 2017 to March 201820,101
April 2018 to March 201920,597
April 2019 to March 202020,174
April 2020 to March 202118,669
April 2021 to March 202225,136
April 2022 to March 202324,888
April 2023 to March 202424,210
April 2024 to March 202526,520
April 2025 to March 202628,054
Recorded robbery
April 2012 to March 201334,764
April 2013 to March 201428,253
April 2014 to March 201521,812
April 2015 to March 201621,563
April 2016 to March 201724,165
April 2017 to March 201832,762
April 2018 to March 201934,366
April 2019 to March 202039,907
April 2020 to March 202122,820
April 2021 to March 202224,381
April 2022 to March 202329,575
April 2023 to March 202434,352
April 2024 to March 202534,318
April 2025 to March 202632,421

Stop and search and arrests

Stop and searches (all powers)
144,063
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Stop and searches under section 1 of PACE
141,088
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Section 1 searches that led to an arrest
17.7%
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Arrests for notifiable offences
108,993
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office

Local areas

Council areas in this police force area: Barking and Dagenham · Barnet · Bexley · Brent · Bromley · Camden · Croydon · Ealing · Enfield · Greenwich · Hackney · Hammersmith and Fulham · Haringey · Harrow · Havering · Hillingdon · Hounslow · Islington · Kensington and Chelsea · Kingston upon Thames · Lambeth · Lewisham · Merton · Newham · Redbridge · Richmond upon Thames · Southwark · Sutton · Tower Hamlets · Waltham Forest · Wandsworth · Westminster

Where Metropolitan Police Service sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above Metropolitan Police Service and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  1. Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

    • Metropolitan Police Service this page

  2. Level 6: National government

  3. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  4. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  5. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.

  6. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Related figures

Police officer numbers · Crime Survey for England and Wales

Sources

Police forces · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026