Policy Exchange noted that the Met was “highly impressive” at solving and suppressing homicides, with a sharp fall in numbers to only 42 in the first half of 2025. But it said the force was “incredibly poor” at addressing high-volume crimes, with shoplifting having increased by 167 per cent since 2021-22 to reach 93,705 offences in 2024-25.
It noted that the Met was solving only one in 20 reported robberies and burglaries, one in 76 reported bicycle thefts, one in 179 thefts from a person, and one in 13 shoplifting offences.
The report said Sir Mark Rowley, the Commissioner, had failed so far to deliver on his promise to create the “strongest ever neighbourhood policing”. It blamed a year-long delay in shifting teams’ doctrine from being focused on community engagement to crime-fighting, a fall in front-line officers and a failure to mitigate station closures.
Commander Hayley Sewart said the Met’s new plan had delivered significant improvements for communities and that crime was falling across London. This included a fall of nearly 15 per cent in theft, robbery and vehicle crime, and officers arresting 1,000 more criminals every month.
“At the same time, knife-enabled crime has reduced by 16 per cent and knife-enabled robbery by more than 23 per cent in the past year, and homicide in London is at a 10-year low,” she said.
“Despite a £260m funding gap and amid a shrinking Met, we are protecting neighbourhood policing, response policing and public protection, so we can be there where and when the public needs us. This has included growing our neighbourhood teams by over 500 officers and PCSOs [Police Community Support Officers] over the last two years.
“Latest data shows that 81 per cent of Londoners believe the Met is doing a good or fair job and, while we know our work is not done, these are encouraging figures.”
Homicides ‘at lowest level since 2003’
A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping London safe and he continues to lead the way by being tough on crime – with a record £1.16bn support for the police this year alone – and tough on the complex causes of crime through the country’s first Violence Reduction Unit, which is leading an approach rooted in prevention and intervention.
“This approach has led to significant reductions in crime in London, with last year seeing London record the lowest number of homicides of under-25s for more than two decades, and overall homicides in the capital falling to their lowest level this year since monthly records began in 2003.”
