HMIC Assessment of Police Forces - MPA Response

42/04
14 Jun 2004

Commenting on Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary‘s (HMIC) baseline assessments of police forces in England and Wales published today, Richard Barnes, acting chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority said:

“The MPA is responsible for maintaining an efficient and effective police service for London, and overall we welcome the positive assessment by HMIC of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) core policing activities. However, we will take on board the observations made in the report and continue to work with the MPS to improve the way policing is provided to Londoners.

“As the police service for London, the MPS has specific and unique policing duties, for example its ‘capital city’ responsibilities, such as public order, anti terrorism and royal and diplomatic protection

“London is also the most diverse city in the world and we have been working hard with the MPS to increase community confidence and trust in our police.

“Recently MPS police officer numbers exceeded 30,000, the highest ever in its history and we have recruited over 1,431 Police Community Support Officers.

“The MPS has also launched the ‘Safer Neighbourhoods’ strategy, whereby individual ‘wards’ in London’s boroughs will now be policed by a team of six officers and CPSOs who will be dedicated to that specific area.

“The MPA exists to ensure that the MPS is accountable to all London’s communities and we will work together to improve our policing services and make our capital safer for everyone. We recognise the importance of this baseline assessment and will ensure there is no room for complacency in our aim to make London the safest city.

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