Funding a decline in Met officer numbers
Funding for the Met police continues to rise, yet the number of Met officers is declining. The combined number of police officers and PCSOs rose to a peak of 35,731 in April 2023 before declining to around 32,570 in March 2026. Excluding PCSOs, which have averaged around 1,300 over the last 10 years, police officer numbers have fallen from 34,523 in April 2023 to 31,181 in March 2026.1
The Met has previously outlined an ambition to grow its workforce to 38,000 officers and 19,000 staff, based on London’s population and a target 2:1 officer-to-staff ratio in line with other capital city forces.2
The Met is predominantly funded by government grant. In 2026-27 it will receive £2.7 billion in general funding, accounting for 54.4 per cent of its total budget. A further £933 million (19 per cent) comes from specific government grants, and local funding raised through the GLA council tax precept and business rates makes up 24.9 per cent of the MPS 2025-26 budget, up from 19.6 per cent in 2016-17.3
The Mayor has raised the police council tax precept by the maximum permitted amount every year since he was elected.
On Monday, the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will speak to the Met on how its increased funding has been allocated, why officer and PCSO numbers have fallen in recent years, and what the Met’s plans are for delivering safety outcomes for Londoners within its current budget.
The Committee will then hear from external experts on how effectively the Met is allocating its resources.
The guests are:
Panel 1 – Mayor / Met:
- Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime
- Adrian Wright, Interim Chief Finance Officer, Metropolitan Police Service
- Amana Humayun, Chief Finance Officer, MOPAC
Panel 2 – External Experts:
- Blair Gibbs, Director, Police Foundation
- Ian Wiggett, Associate Director, World Policing Advisory
- Professor Tom Kirchmaler, Director of the Policing and Crime research group at London School of Economics
The meeting will take place on Monday 1 June from 2pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- Police Force Strength - London Datastore, accessed May 2026
- MOPAC, Budget Submission 2025-26, 22 November 2024, p.6
- MOPAC, MOPAC Budget Submission 2025-26 and MTFP 24/25 - 27/28, November 2025
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
- Neil Garratt AM, Chair the Budget and Peformance Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Budget and Performance Committee
For media enquiries, please contact Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.