City of London Police faces merger risk under UK force reform review

Traders Union
All News
Financial News
City Police merger review

Highlights

Review led by Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe could recommend merging City of London Police with the Metropolitan Police, facing resistance from business backers and the City of London Corporation.
The City of London Police raised £33 million through the business rate premium in 2023, cut phone snatching by 30 percent for 2025, and reduced retail crime by 22 percent as of February 2024.
With financial crime representing 46 percent of all reported crime in England and the ABI contributing £4.1 million in 2024, business groups emphasize the City force’s unique national fraud-fighting role.

Review plans put City force under scrutiny

As reported by Financial Times, the review is led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe and is understood to have been received by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, with recommendations due in the autumn. Under the plans being explored, the City of London’s 187-year-old police force could be merged into the Metropolitan Police, prompting resistance from the City of London Corporation and companies that help fund the force alongside taxpayers.

Supporters of the City’s standalone model argue it already meets the government’s stated goals of better-quality policing and lower costs. They say business backing for the force remains strong, with an increase in the business rate premium raising £33 million last year for the City of London Police.

The force points to operational results in the Square Mile, where Operation Swipe cuts phone snatching by 30 per cent in 2025, while business robbery and retail crime are 22 per cent lower in the year to February 26 than in the previous 12-month period. Overall crime in hotspot areas is down 15 per cent, and the force also works with companies through Operation Crantock to respond to protests, including actions targeting Barclays branches.

Financial crime role shapes business concerns

Business groups say the case for independence extends beyond local patrols because the force leads nationally on fraud and financial crime through Action Fraud. That role is drawing added attention as online fraud now accounts for 46 per cent of all crime reported in England.

Mark Allen, head of fraud and financial crime at the Association of British Insurers, says the City of London Police plays a unique role through industry-funded units and private-sector partnerships. The ABI contributed £4.1 million in 2024 to the force’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, underlining the level of business support tied to its specialist capabilities.

Chris Hayward, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, says confidence in the UK’s financial centre depends on keeping the Square Mile safe and argues that an independent force with a national fraud role remains the most effective structure. There is also concern that if the force is absorbed into a larger body, resources could be redirected elsewhere despite the Home Office pledge to add 13,000 neighbourhood officers across the country.

Cassia Rowland, a senior researcher on policing and criminal justice at the Institute for Government, says one possible model would place the City’s economic crime functions into a new national force for England and Wales while shifting its territorial policing to the Met. She says that would preserve specialist fraud expertise, but adds that the wider merger agenda could still face political obstacles if a future government prioritises devolution. The Home Office says the review is intended to find the optimum force structure and that larger organisations would be better placed to handle major incidents, serious crime and specialist services while keeping policing responsive to communities.

In our earlier article on Andy Burnham’s devolution-led growth plan, we looked at how his agenda seeks to shift power away from Whitehall and strengthen regional decision-making across England. We also highlighted that the decisive question is whether real control over public spending follows, since without fiscal devolution the reforms risk remaining largely symbolic.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.