The City of London Police has been graded ‘outstanding’ for how it records crime, as well as ‘good’ for both investigating crime, and responding to the public.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carried out the Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection across February and March this year.
The inspectorate also recognised how well the force supports rape victims, achieving positive outcome rates for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) offences in 24/25; more than double the national average with the City of London Police achieving a 15.6% outcome rate, above the national rate of 6%.
Member of the City of London Police Authority Board, Ben Murphy, said: “The City Police family should feel very proud of the progress which has been achieved since the last inspection. The PEEL report published today makes the City of London Police one of only a handful of police forces in the UK without a ‘requires improvement’ score for this inspection period. Recognising the ‘outstanding’ grading in how the City Police record data about crime gives further validity to the robustness of its other inspection scores. Of course, this is not an opportunity to kick back and relax – as both a local policing team, responsible for keeping the Square Mile safe, and as the National Lead Force for fraud and economic crime, we must continue to push for further improvements outlined in our Policing Plan.”
Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said: “I am very happy to share our inspection results which demonstrate the hard work our officers and police staff are doing to keep people safe and put victims at the heart of everything we do. I am especially proud of our ‘outstanding’ grade for recording crime, as well as being recognised for how we investigate crime and respond to the public. We are not at all complacent, but this is a good outcome, reflecting our new Policing Plan priorities for the next three years, and it shows how we really are going the extra mile to deliver the best service possible to the City of London, and beyond.”
Within his inspection report summary Lee Freeman, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary said: “The City of London Police is ‘outstanding’ in how and when it records crime. This improvement is testament to the force’s investment of time, effort and resources in crime recording. The force has also significantly improved the timeliness with which it records crime. This means investigations and support for victims begins sooner.”
The HMICFRS report praises the force’s leadership which enables quality investigations to achieve appropriate outcomes for victims, and the support given to the needs of victims.
Deputy Commissioner Paul Betts, who led the force through the inspection added: “These are welcome results and demonstrate everyone’s hard work to take us in the right direction. Our ‘good’ score for crime investigation is a team effort, from our front-line officers and control staff to our crime scene investigators, and all those who investigate and bring justice to victims. Our message is clear. Don’t come to the City of London to commit crime because if you do, you’ll be relentlessly pursued, investigated, and brought before the courts.”
A further highlight from the inspection was that the force has again received a good score at responding to the public, having improved its understanding of the demand it faces and prioritising incidents.
In 2025 the CoLP PEEL inspection results are:
In 2023 the same CoLP PEEL inspection results were:
You can read the full reports below: