The Metropolitan Police will prioritize neighborhood policing by freeing up 6,000 officer shifts in October, a strategy Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warns will slow response times to major events and protests.
Metropolitan Police Reset Neighborhood Strategy
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley announced the resetting
of policing priorities during a London Assembly session on 05 November 2026. This change responds to financial pressures
and long-standing requests from local politicians to keep officers in their assigned neighborhoods.
The commissioner acknowledged that the force will handle large-scale gatherings differently. It will mean that sometimes events in the centre of London will happen in a way that wasn’t anticipated, and will take longer to squash and deal with,
he stated while seeking Assembly support for the transition.
Internal Misconduct Cases Reduce Deployment
Internal misconduct investigations have restricted the number of available officers. Sir Mark told the Assembly that the threshold for investigating internal issues has been so low
in recent years, forcing officers to spend time on trivial matters.
Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives on the Assembly, noted that assembly members were told by the Met Fed (Metropolitan Police Federation) that thousands of officers are on restricted duties or even garden leave, waiting for their investigation for misconduct to be heard.
Security Risks at Ceremonial Events
The strategy change has triggered scrutiny over the security of major national events. Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the Army, questioned the use of private contractors for high-profile security. I am surprised that a risk assessment can outsource something like this to private security. On the face of it, it sounds wrong and shouldn’t be driven on cost grounds,
he said.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge described the reports as very concerning,
stating that the Armed Forces defend our nation and are entitled to expect appropriate policing for major military ceremonial events, especially when they are so special to our national heritage.
He called on ministers to urgently provide reassurance that such events will be properly policed.
Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin, who sits on the defence select committee, labeled the decision outrageous,
arguing that security at events like Trooping the Colour is a component of the country’s homeland resilience.