Metropolitan Police Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Metropolitan Police Service Metropolitan Police Force

Common name	The Met
Abbreviation	MPS
Motto	Working together for a safer London
Agency overview
Formed	29 September, 1829
Preceding agencies	Bow Street Runners Marine Police Force
Employees	52,111
Volunteers	797 (and 2,988 special constables)
Annual budget	£4.1bn
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Metropolitan Police District, England, UK

Map of police area
Size	1,578 km² (609 sq mi)
Population	7.4 million
Legal jurisdiction	England & Wales (Northern Ireland and Scotland in limited circumstances)
Governing body	Metropolitan Police Authority
Constituting instruments	Metropolitan Police Act 1829 Metropolitan Police Act 1839 Police Act 1996
General nature	Civilian police
Operational structure
Overviewed by	Independent Police Complaints Commission/Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Headquarters	New Scotland Yard
Police Constables	36,246 (of which 2,988 are special constables)
Police Community Support Officers	4,521
Agency executive	Cressida Dick CBE QPM, Commissioner
Facilities
Stations	180
Boats	22
Helicopters	3
Dogs	250
Website
Official website: http://www.met.police.uk/

The Metropolitan Police, often called the Met, is the main police force for Greater London. It helps keep people safe across almost all of London's areas. The only part it doesn't cover is the small City of London, which has its own police. The Met is the biggest police force in the United Kingdom. It has many thousands of police officers, making it much larger than any other force in the country.

What is the Metropolitan Police?
History of the Metropolitan Police
Images for kids
See also

What is the Metropolitan Police?

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is responsible for policing a huge area. This area is known as the Metropolitan Police District. It covers all the different London boroughs. Their main goal is to make London a safe place for everyone who lives there or visits.

How Big is the Met Police?

The Met Police is very large. In 2009, it had about 30,000 police officers. This was more than three times the size of the next biggest police force in the UK. Today, the Met has over 52,000 people working for it. This includes police officers, special constables, and other staff.

Where is the Met Police Headquarters?

The main office for the Metropolitan Police is called New Scotland Yard. It is a famous building in London. From here, the leaders of the Met Police help manage all the police work across the city.

What Kind of Equipment Does the Met Use?

The Met Police uses many different types of equipment to do their job. They have a fleet of vehicles, including police cars and motorcycles. They also use boats to patrol the River Thames. For looking over large areas, they have helicopters. The Met also has a special unit with around 250 police dogs. These dogs are trained to help officers in many situations.

History of the Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police was started a long time ago. It was formed on September 29, 1829. Before the Met, there were other groups that tried to keep order. These included the Bow Street Runners and the Marine Police Force. The Met was created to bring a more organised police service to London.

Images for kids

Metropolitan Police officers wearing traditional custodian helmets
Met officers, alongside British Transport Police on 'mutual aid', at a G20 protest in 2009.
Armed DPG police officers. Downing Street gates, 2014
A traditional blue lamp as seen outside most police stations.
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