Frequently asked questions.

 

Who will oversee the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)? 

The occupant of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) is an elected individual tasked with holding the MPS to account on behalf of the public. This approach came into effect on 16 January 2012. The occupant of the MOPC may be supported by a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.

The City of London Police continues to be overseen by the Common Council of the City of London. (External link)

In November 2012, elections will be held for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), who will then hold to account the Chief Constables of most police forces outside London. More information about PCCs will be available on this website in the autumn.

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What has happened to the Metropolitan Police Authority?

The Metropolitan Police Authority was abolished in January 2012 and the occupant of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime is now responsible for overseeing the Metropolitan Police Service.

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What does the occupant of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) do?

The occupant of the MOPC will hold the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to account and provide a link between the police and local people. 
 
The occupant of the MOPC is accountable to the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee. The Committee holds the MOPC to account and scrutinises their actions and decisions. 

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How do I contact the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC)? 

The occupant of the MOPC is currently Boris Johnson. You can contact the MOPC at:

Mayor’s Officer for Policing and Crime  
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H 0NY 

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Who can make a complaint against the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) or a Deputy?

Anyone can make a complaint about the MOPC or their Deputy to the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee.

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How do I make a complaint about the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) or about the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime?

The occupant of the MOPC is currently Boris Johnson. To make a complaint about the MOPC you should contact the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee at
the address or email below. 
 
GLA Monitoring Officer
London Assembly Police and Crime Committee
City Hall
The Queens Walk
London
SE1 2AA
 
mopc.complaint@london.gov.uk
 
If the IPCC receives a complaint about the MOPC it will forward the details to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee for it to decide how it should be handled.  

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How do I make a complaint about someone working for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)? 

The department for recording and responding to complaints on behalf of the Commissioner is the Directorate of Professional Standards. You can contact the Directorate of Professional Standards at:

Metropolitan Police
DPS Customer Services
22nd Floor
Empress State Building
Lillie Road
London
SW6 1TR

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How do I make a complaint about the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)?

The Commissioner of the MPS is accountable for all of the work of the MPS, and will be held to account by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC). To make a complaint about the Commissioner of the MPS you should contact the MOPC at:

Professional Standards Office
Mayor’s Officer for Policing and Crime
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H 0NY 

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How will my complaint about the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) or a Deputy be handled?

There are a number of routes through which you can complain about the MOPC or Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. In order for your complaint to be dealt with more quickly, you should make it directly to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee.  

The Committee will decide whether to record your complaint. The decision whether to ‘record’ a complaint is the first step in dealing with it. You can expect the Committee to record your complaint unless it thinks either that the subject of your complaint has been, or is being, dealt with already through criminal proceedings, or that your complaint has been made before, but then withdrawn.  

If your complaint is recorded, the Committee will decide whether your complaint must be referred to the IPCC. When it receives a referral, the IPCC will decide whether the complaint requires investigation and, if so, what sort of investigation should take place.   

If the Committee decides that your complaint does not need to be referred to the IPCC, or if the IPCC determines that your allegation does not need to be investigated, the Committee will take steps to resolve your complaint itself. The Committee may appoint someone to deal with your complaint on its behalf. 

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In what circumstances will the IPCC become involved in a complaint about the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) and what is the IPCC’s role?

Where a complaint is made against the MOPC or a Deputy and it is about conduct that constitutes or involves, or appears to constitute or involve, a criminal offence, the Police and Crime Committee must refer that complaint to the IPCC. 

When it receives a referral, the IPCC is responsible for deciding whether and, if so, how that complaint should be investigated. The IPCC can either order an investigation by a police force under the IPCC’s management or conduct an investigation using its own independent investigators. 

At the end of an investigation, the IPCC will decide whether there is an indication that a criminal offence may have been committed by the person the complaint is about. If this is the case, and where the IPCC thinks it is appropriate to do so, the matter will be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP will then decide whether to bring a criminal prosecution. 

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I am not happy with the way that my complaint about the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) has been handled. What can I do about it?

You can write to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee stating your concerns.  

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Do I have a right of appeal to the IPCC about the non recording of my complaint against the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC)? 

There are no rights of appeal to the IPCC in relation to complaints made about the MOPC or a Deputy. 

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I have complained to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC), but I have not received a response. What should I do now? Can the IPCC intervene?

If you have complained to the MOPC, they must, subject to certain exceptions, pass your complaint to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, which holds them to account. You could consider approaching the Police and Crime Committee directly.

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