Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan consultation

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1622 Londoners have responded | 18/12/2024 - 12/02/2025

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Discussion | Trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police

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One of the Mayor’s key priorities is to increase Londoners’ levels of trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service. The Met Commissioner is leading efforts to improve and reform the Met to achieve this ambition.   

Join the conversation 

  • What do you think makes people trust the police?  
  • What stops people from trusting the police? 
  • What does the police service need to do differently to improve Londoners’ trust in them?   
  • What do you think the Mayor's role should be in improving trust and confidence in policing in London?   

Alex, Chervonne and Dionne from MOPAC will be joining in the discussion below.  

Please don’t post any identifiable details or report incidents. You can find safeguarding and police information on our dedicated support page

What’s in the draft Police & Crime Plan? 

Some of the Mayor’s key commitments include: 

  • Continuing to support and challenge the Met to make lasting change to its culture, improve the service it provides to Londoners and improve its relationships with all communities. 
  • Continuing to Chair the London Policing Board – which brings together independent experts to support the Mayor in publicly overseeing reforms of the Met. 

  • Working with the Met to commission an independent review of progress against the recommendations in Baroness Casey’s Review. 
  • Working with communities to build a new model for police scrutiny that makes it easier and simpler for Londoners to scrutinise the use of police powers. 

The discussion ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025

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Comments (62)

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Being a police officer the UK needs a clear understanding of their role in our democracy. They are  not  'Bouncers' and need an educational level to enable them to translate complex laws into their actions appropriately. Every policemen out...

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Being a police officer the UK needs a clear understanding of their role in our democracy. They are  not  'Bouncers' and need an educational level to enable them to translate complex laws into their actions appropriately. Every policemen out in the uniform needs that knowledge as they are delivering the role daily. Currently there seems be two tiers- 1.  People able to do this task and to want to progress up the career path and the 'bouncer' types who seem way below the necessary standard who have no interest in passing for promotion . I think they should be dropped back to wear something different  like the specials and just help out at events whehere you need the numbers. .  

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Avatar for - Colombian spotted frog

I really like the met police. To me it is amazing how calm this guys can be with so much abuse they go through sometimes. Being South American, I also think that they are very polite and easy to talk to. 

What makes people stop trusting the...

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I really like the met police. To me it is amazing how calm this guys can be with so much abuse they go through sometimes. Being South American, I also think that they are very polite and easy to talk to. 

What makes people stop trusting the police is when we see that they are not able to be tough on criminals because of the law. if they have to be nice and calm with abusive people it makes them look powerless to bypassers. it is a terrible place to be put in. 

Lastly, we need change in the way we deal with teenage criminals.

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Thank you for your comments vthomasi

Avatar for - Pangolin

I have full trust in the police. I just never see them! 

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I have full trust in the police. I just never see them! 

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That's probably because local police are whisked away to police demonstrations. It happens in my area of outer London. What happened to Speakers Corner?

 

 

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That's probably because local police are whisked away to police demonstrations. It happens in my area of outer London. What happened to Speakers Corner?

 

 

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Avatar for - Tiger

I don't think enough emphasis is placed how little people trust the MET Police. I have no confidence in the force whatsoever. If a crime was committed against me I would of course have to go to the police to report it, but I would do that...

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I don't think enough emphasis is placed how little people trust the MET Police. I have no confidence in the force whatsoever. If a crime was committed against me I would of course have to go to the police to report it, but I would do that with no confidence in their ability to solve the crime or to support me appropriately. The attitude must change, officers that are unsuited to police work needs to be let go. I do not get any sense of safety seeing police in the streets as it is at the moment. 

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Avatar for - Rhino

They need to be more visible, I agree. That’s probably about funding.


I don’t think they can just get rid of everyone who might be bad or someone decides is unsuitable for policing.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts Fruitbowl . Your concerns about trust and confidence in the police are noted and will be considered as part of this consultation. We appreciate you taking the time to contribute.

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All those politicians who criticise the police constantly on social media, in fact put people off from reporting crime. Also civil admin workers in the police service who call strikes, effectively hinder the police from working properly and...

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All those politicians who criticise the police constantly on social media, in fact put people off from reporting crime. Also civil admin workers in the police service who call strikes, effectively hinder the police from working properly and reduce trust in policing. 

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Avatar for - Sumatran elephant

Trust, respect and fear is what puts people back in line. When I’m in Spain and I see an officer with a pistol strapped. I’m on my very best behaviour even though I’m not someone to be committing crimes. The last thing I want is risking...

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Trust, respect and fear is what puts people back in line. When I’m in Spain and I see an officer with a pistol strapped. I’m on my very best behaviour even though I’m not someone to be committing crimes. The last thing I want is risking being shot. I don’t know how’s best with the uk ethical practices but police need to be respected more. That means treating civilians with respect but also being harsh when it matters. Having equipment that shows a power difference. We can’t be equals. And that doesn’t happen by people that happens by force. I back down from a big big man I know could hurt me because of the consequences if I were in an argument. It’s human nature. To listen to the police they need more power difference and not get walked over by civilians. 

There needs to be more of them and a genuine care for us. I have never ever heard of a police officer be sent out to investigate phone thieves on a proven address. To see police care and go out and find the criminals. See police do their job grants respect. But I have no hope right now that police would act when I need them unless the most severe situations when my life is threatened. Let’s do more. 

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I remember they used to do road safety checks at Mile End junction (and others). This was ostensibly to crack down on dangerous trucks, but it also caught those without insurance, driving bans, wanted criminals, etc.

It would now be an...

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I remember they used to do road safety checks at Mile End junction (and others). This was ostensibly to crack down on dangerous trucks, but it also caught those without insurance, driving bans, wanted criminals, etc.

It would now be an opportunity to stop e-bike riders and check their bikes are legal for the road. They could also check gig-economy delivery riders are the contracted rider and not someone renting another rider's identity (e.g. because they cannot legally work).

At the start of a previous operation, they handed out cheap bike lights for those who didn't have them. I think they started taking stronger action later in the programme, but this seemed a proportionate start.

I think one of the operations was called Operation Safeway.

I'd like criminals to fear using our roads in case one of these operations is underway.

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Avatar for - Amur leopard

The amount of criminals that feel as though they can get away with their crimes as the Police “won’t do anything” needs to change. Even if it’s focusing on one type of crime (pick pocketing/phone theft/bike and car theft) at a time and...

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The amount of criminals that feel as though they can get away with their crimes as the Police “won’t do anything” needs to change. Even if it’s focusing on one type of crime (pick pocketing/phone theft/bike and car theft) at a time and figuring out the best solution to that specific crime and working its way outwards, I feel as though unless I am injured in a crime the police are unlikely to do much about it. 

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Avatar for - Amur leopard

As a girl in London I do not feel comfortable dealing with male police officers, and definitely would not like to be alone with one. 

 

Like other people have said, it’s a combination of things that’s led to the mistrust in the MPS:

  1. High...
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As a girl in London I do not feel comfortable dealing with male police officers, and definitely would not like to be alone with one. 

 

Like other people have said, it’s a combination of things that’s led to the mistrust in the MPS:

  1. High levels of violence by Police Officers in the MPS to their female partners
  2. The abundance of group chats/conversations/text chains that have come out in recent years displaying MPS as a systemically corrupt organisation with the way they handle any protected characteristics and overall sentiment towards civilians
  3. Sarah Everard’s case, and the way the protests and general public attention was handled by Police
  4. The distasteful way that our current MPS handles non-violent protests, in comparison to violent (usually right wing) ones. (The people posting about how calm and civil and allowed the Farmers protest was are missing the point that they were authorised to protest and road blocks were put into place when that same approval to protest would not have been given to events such as Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil.)

 

I do want to be utterly clear here, and say as a white female in her twenties in London I only feel unsafe around, in my experience, white male police officers. Of course my situation is not universal, but that is my truth. 

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I know that some officers have been exposed by the media but this is not the entire MPS force. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of police officers that I have spoken to are extremely polite and I have no problem with either black...

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I know that some officers have been exposed by the media but this is not the entire MPS force. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of police officers that I have spoken to are extremely polite and I have no problem with either black or white officers.

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With many headlines of Police involved in murder, rapes , law breaking of all kinds , and finding that they often got away with it .. The Trust from the general public has been mostly  erroded.  Open , common sense and caring local policing...

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With many headlines of Police involved in murder, rapes , law breaking of all kinds , and finding that they often got away with it .. The Trust from the general public has been mostly  erroded.  Open , common sense and caring local policing is desperately needed. 
No more robotic uncaring policing! 
RK

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Avatar for - Monarch butterfly

Response times are viewed as slow or non-existent for crimes such as: car theft and theft from cars; repeated shop-lifting and local store break-ins ( three in as many months in our village- perps names given to police-little visible action...

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Response times are viewed as slow or non-existent for crimes such as: car theft and theft from cars; repeated shop-lifting and local store break-ins ( three in as many months in our village- perps names given to police-little visible action); parcel theft; mobile phone theft and mugging. These are done by the same people repeatedly. More stop and search? More patrols? Re-opening police stations is a red herring but police visibility needed. 

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Avatar for - Sumatran elephant

Trust in the police comes from everyone being treated the same not swayed by ethnicity or race.

Take action not keep saying we will learn from mistakes.

The mator should resign.

 

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Trust in the police comes from everyone being treated the same not swayed by ethnicity or race.

Take action not keep saying we will learn from mistakes.

The mator should resign.

 

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Avatar for - Sumatran elephant

Mayor

Avatar for - Tiger

I have no trust in police force, I'll be  very specific in Metropolitan Police. They so incompetent and corrupt. Liars. All they do is to protect criminals and not helping victims! 0 trust. That's  the reality. 

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I have no trust in police force, I'll be  very specific in Metropolitan Police. They so incompetent and corrupt. Liars. All they do is to protect criminals and not helping victims! 0 trust. That's  the reality. 

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Avatar for - Tiger

It is time to return to proper policing.  Get officers off their backsides, out from behind desks and onto the beat where they belong.

Visibility and prompt responding to crimes is vital to reverse the falling trust levels.

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It is time to return to proper policing.  Get officers off their backsides, out from behind desks and onto the beat where they belong.

Visibility and prompt responding to crimes is vital to reverse the falling trust levels.

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Avatar for - Tiger

I have no trust or confidence in the police to take crime seriously when it is now the widespread belief that most crimes are just ignored. Theft from the person, shoplifting, drug dealing and traffic related crimes need to be properly...

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I have no trust or confidence in the police to take crime seriously when it is now the widespread belief that most crimes are just ignored. Theft from the person, shoplifting, drug dealing and traffic related crimes need to be properly investigated and prosecuted before I can regain my confidence in the police doing a good job.

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Avatar for - Staghorn coral

Tackle the culture of short-termism and idleness within the police force. Reward officers who best tackle violent/serious crime and penalise officers who strategically ignore serious crime and instead focus on gaining easy career points...

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Tackle the culture of short-termism and idleness within the police force. Reward officers who best tackle violent/serious crime and penalise officers who strategically ignore serious crime and instead focus on gaining easy career points through petty offences. Recruit more police and monitor individual police performance. Hold all senior police accountable for their failures and publish even more robust and transparent free statistics about police performance.

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Avatar for - Atlantic cod

Upload raw unedited bodycam footages of all scenes to public domains, the use of muting audio can be allowed. Do not blur anything unless minors are involved. This way the police are held accountable for their actions and can also read...

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Upload raw unedited bodycam footages of all scenes to public domains, the use of muting audio can be allowed. Do not blur anything unless minors are involved. This way the police are held accountable for their actions and can also read public opinion on their actions and understand public reactions. Bodycam footage should not be copyrighted to enable the public to share their own understanding and opinion of what they have watched. This will also show the public what the police respond to on a day to day basis, it could also encourage recruitment.

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I think there are more communications needed about the processes around hiring and retaining officers, the expected conduct and actions taken when conduct isn’t in line with policing regulations.

I think professionalism of policing is...

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I think there are more communications needed about the processes around hiring and retaining officers, the expected conduct and actions taken when conduct isn’t in line with policing regulations.

I think professionalism of policing is important, and salaries should reflect the levels of training and professional expertise. The starting salaries compared to other traineeships are low and perhaps impact the calibre of people interested in policing as a profession.

I think from a victim side, there’s a lot that police are blamed for that is outwith their control: namely criminal justice outcomes or lack thereof. Most reported crime doesn’t result in any kind of “positive outcome” which encourages a societal mentality of being able to commit crimes without consequence. 

My experience of neighbourhood policing teams has been really positive - their crime prevention advice was useful and they make an effort to get to know the community. This builds trust and confidence so I would advocate for more community engagement.

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Avatar for - Tiger

The Police are still thought of as being the people you go to when in trouble or your a victim of crime. Unfortunately my trust (& lots of others) took a hit following the horrific case of Sarah Everard.  

Their visibility and their...

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The Police are still thought of as being the people you go to when in trouble or your a victim of crime. Unfortunately my trust (& lots of others) took a hit following the horrific case of Sarah Everard.  

Their visibility and their treatment of everyone equally no matter what colour, creed etc etc.

Accountability & transparency are crucial factors - as these rightly improve over time, bad practices and people who should not be in the Police Service will be exposed and most importantly must be brought to justice. That will bring 'bad press' which will no doubt lead to more shouts of the police are all bad & cant be trusted. 

The Mayor should call out the Met when it falls short but he should also look to emphasise more the excellent work they do day in, day out (but no gimmicks please!)

 

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Avatar for - Gorilla

It’s impossible to restore confidence in the police when the state allows criminal protection and the media slanders the police. The police should be allowed to do their job, and people should comply. People shouldn’t interfere in police...

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It’s impossible to restore confidence in the police when the state allows criminal protection and the media slanders the police. The police should be allowed to do their job, and people should comply. People shouldn’t interfere in police business, and there should be messages promoting respect for the police. In this country, there is no respect for the police; there is far more respect for the criminals

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Timeline

STAGE: City Hall challenge

Mayor publishes his draft Police and Crime Plan

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STAGE: Evidence gathering

Policing and community safety in London

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Londoners have responded 1622 times

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Public consultation event from 6-8pm (online)

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Public consultation event from 6-8pm (in person)

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STAGE: Policy published

The Mayor's Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029 published

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