Mayor launches ambitious new London policing plan for 2025-2029

• Sadiq’s new Police and Crime Plan will help revitalise neighbourhood policing teams with City Hall working with Government to help put more officers in the heart of communities over the next four years
• The Plan re-commits to being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime, and places partnership working with the Met Police, Government, Transport for London, London Councils and other agencies at the heart of work to tackle Londoners’ priorities
• Detailed plan has been developed in consultation with more than 4,000 Londoners and key partners including police, local councils, justice agencies and voluntary groups

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched his new London Police and Crime Plan1 which will focus on revitalising high-visibility policing in our neighbourhoods and high streets to deal with local priorities and make London safer for everyone. 
 
The detailed plan for 2025-2029 sets out Sadiq's priorities to build on crime reductions already achieved in the capital2 and is focused on working with Government throughout the four-year period of the plan to strengthen neighbourhood policing in London so that more officers are in the heart of communities to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour. 
 
Comparing statistics for the financial year before the Mayor’s previous Police and Crime Plan and the 12 months from January-December 2024, violence with injury in the Met Police area fell by 11%, domestic homicide by 28%, non-domestic homicide by 8%, teen homicide by 43%, lethal barrel discharges by 25% and the number of people under 25 admitted to hospital due to assault with a sharp object by 13%. 
 
Latest ONS figures show the rate of violence in London is lower than the rest of England and Wales. Last year there were fewer homicides of people under-25 than any year since 2003 and the number of teenage homicides in London in 2024 was also at its lowest total since 2012.
 
The plan comes as the Mayor has welcomed the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, announced at the end of last year, to have 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing officers, Police Community Support Officers and special constables in dedicated neighbourhood policing roles nationally to help tackle and prevent crime in high streets and town centres.
 
As Mayor, Sadiq has gone above and beyond to ensure the capital’s police have the resources to continue tackling crime locally. Directly funding 1,300 extra police officers, backing the Met with a record £1.16bn in City Hall funding in this year’s budget alone.
 
The Mayor's new plan has been developed following consultation with more than 4,000 Londoners, the Met Police and other key partners including local authorities, and voluntary groups. The key priorities are: reducing violence and criminal exploitation; building safer, more confident communities; supporting and overseeing reform of the Met Police; and improving the criminal justice system and supporting victims.
 
The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) will bring partners and agencies together to help address community concerns and bear down effectively on crime and anti-social behaviour. This will include looking at ways to improve best practice in the sharing of data, cross-boundary working and developing critical partnership skills.
 
Neighbourhood policing remains the bedrock of community confidence and safety in London. Against the backdrop of 14 years of Government austerity and its continued impact on the Met, record investment from City Hall3 is empowering the Met to deliver its new Met for London plan, which prioritises local high-visibility policing and taking officers out of back-office roles to deliver on the issues that matter most to Londoners including tackling robbery, theft and anti-social behaviour.
 
The Mayor is clear that one violent crime is one too many and his new plan will build on reductions already achieved to further drive down serious violence in line with the Government’s national mission to halve knife crime in a decade. Sadiq has always been clear that the police alone cannot reduce violence and the plan is focused on enhanced and effective working with partners including the Met Police, Government, Transport for London, London Councils and other agencies. 
 
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe and I'm determined to do all I can to tackle violence and crime in our city. My new Police and Crime Plan is about putting communities first and over the next four years we will work with the Government and the Met to improve visible neighbourhood policing and strengthen partnership working to deal with the violence, crime and anti-social behaviour issues that matter to Londoners.

“This plan is about tackling the issues that matter most for our city and it has been created in consultation with thousands of Londoners, partners and local organisations. I want to thank everyone who took the time to give their views – and all of those who continue to work day-in, day-out to make our city safer.  

“My new plan will build on crime reductions already achieved in the capital where we have seen fewer young people being injured with knives and the number of teenage homicides in London in 2024 being at its lowest total since 2012. But clearly there is still much more work to do. At City Hall we are fully focused on that, and I will continue to do everything in my power to make London a safer city for all.”
 
The Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will continue to tackle the complex causes of violence through prevention and early intervention, building on 400,000 diversionary activities and opportunities for young Londoners through youth work and access to youth clubs, and interventions to tackle school exclusions. 

His VRU will oversee the Government’s Young Futures Prevention Partnerships in London, which aim to provide support for young people at risk of crime.
 
The plan also highlights the continued commitment of the Mayor and the Met Commissioner to crack down on mobile phone robberies – a key driver of violence in London. Over the next four years, the Met will continue to take tough enforcement action against robbery offenders and City Hall will continue to work in partnership with the Government, leading mobile phone companies, manufacturers and the tech industry to design out the theft of their products. 
 
The Mayor has committed to publishing a refreshed strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), building on the pioneering work done in London over the last eight years to tackle the perpetrators of these crimes, support victims and survivors and educate young men and boys about the dangers posed by misogynistic attitudes and behaviours – backed with £233 million investment from the Mayor. 
 
Sadiq has been clear that police reform is a critical part of his Mayoralty, and he will not be satisfied until Londoners have the police service they deserve – one that is trusted, puts communities first, is representative of London and delivers the highest possible service to every community in our city. Important steps forward have been made, including the Met coming out of HMICFRS special measures earlier this year. The plan sets out how Sadiq will continue to support and oversee the work of the Met to embed reform and deliver more trust, less crime and higher standards.
 
Victims of crime will remain at the heart of everything City Hall does, and the plan sets out how the Mayor will continue to invest in innovative, high-quality services for victims through the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). The plan also sets out how London's Independent Victim's Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, will continue her vital work to champion the rights of victims of crime and press for improvements in the services they receive at every stage of their journey. 
 
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “It has been so valuable to hear from so many Londoners, partner organisations and community groups as we’ve developed this plan who contribute daily to keeping London safe. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped us to shape the strategy we publish today so that we can continue delivering for Londoners.
 
“After years of chronic underfunding by the previous Government and huge cuts to policing, the Mayor and I are determined to drive this plan forward and working with partners is at the heart of my approach to build on the progress that has already been made to reduce serious violence in the capital.
 
“Strong partnerships make communities safer, and that’s why this plan focuses so much on strengthening joint working between police, Government, local authorities, justice agencies and key partner organisations like TfL and the NHS. I look forward to working with all of our partners to make London a safer city for all.”

London's Independent Victims' Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “I'm glad to see a focus within this new Police and Crime Plan on investing in high-quality services to support victims of crime. It's critical victims and bereaved families remain at the heart of the Mayor’s work at City Hall.

“Our Criminal Justice System is in crisis and in need of serious reform following years of underfunding by the previous government. That's why, in my role, I'm determined to continue standing up for victims' rights, ensuring that their voices are heard, and work closely with the Government to lobby for adequate funding and improved policies to support victims.

“I look forward to continuing to collaborate with MOPAC to better understand the specific points within the system where victims are being failed. Underpinned by MOPAC research, my London Rape Reviews and Stalking Review have respectively helped to shape national policy and I am keen to build on their successes. Through this work, I hope to effect changes that will improve victims’ experiences and keep them at the heart of all decision and policy making.”

Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Met, said: “Nearly two years ago we launched our New Met for London Plan which set us on the path to strengthening trust, raising standards and reducing crime in the capital. Today’s Police and Crime plan from the Mayor complements this work and will help ensure that we keep putting communities first and delivering on the things that people care about most such as neighbourhood policing, tackling perpetrators of violence against women and girls and reducing knife-crime"
 
“The wider partnership work set out by the Mayor is vital support to our officers’ tireless efforts to keep our neighbourhoods safe. We remain ambitious about what we can collectively achieve if the upcoming Spending Review gives policing and the wider criminal justice system as a whole the backing that it needs.”

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: “The safety and security of our customers and staff is our top priority. We are committed to working alongside the Mayor, police and other partners to ensure that everyone travelling in London can do so safely. We welcome this new plan which will see visible local policing in communities supporting the transport network across the capital.  It is vital we continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that our transport network remains a welcoming environment to work and travel.”