The Local Policing Committee met on Tuesday 22 September 2026 to discuss a range of policing matters, including performance updates, victim support strategies, and community engagement plans. The committee received information on local policing operations, the Q1 2026/27 policing plan performance, and an update on the City of London Victims Strategy. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing proposals for a new Strategic Engagement Plan.

Local Policing Update

Commander Mandy Horsburgh provided an update on local policing operations and security. The report highlighted the Safer City Streets initiative, which included targeted activity to tackle sexual offending and support victims, as well as a Neighbourhood Policing Day of Action focused on acquisitive crime and violence against women and girls. Operation Reframe received positive feedback for its visible policing and safeguarding activities.

Significant reductions in anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the Barbican area were reported, attributed to increased tasking hours and partnership work. A Family Fun Day organised by the City of London Police Federation was attended by over 600 staff and families, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. Operation Makesafe demonstrated strong safeguarding outcomes through engagement with the hospitality sector, increasing uptake of child exploitation awareness training. Project Servator deployments across the City will be enhanced with £96,000 of external funding, focusing on protecting vulnerable locations and sites of interest, particularly those associated with the Jewish community.

Operational highlights included a swift response to a stabbing incident near Aldgate High Street, where immediate medical assistance is believed to have saved the victim's life. The arrest of three suspects following a high-value armed robbery was also noted as an example of effective intelligence-led policing. The City of London Corporation's hotel safety kit launch, aimed at equipping hotel staff to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, was attended by Commander Horsburgh and the Victims Commissioner. The City Belonging Champions initiative, focused on promoting inclusion, was launched with positive feedback on the professionalism and commitment of City of London Police officers.

In terms of crime reduction, thefts from motor vehicles saw a significant success with zero reported offences at a previously affected location following targeted police operations and arrests. The Cycle Team continued their work on road safety and behaviour change, liaising with Transport for London and the Cycling Commissioner. Retail crime, specifically shoplifting, saw a reduction in July 2026 compared to the previous year.

Policing Plan Performance Report - Q1 2026/27

The committee received a report summarising the City of London Police's performance against its Policing Plan for the first quarter of 2026/27. The report indicated that violence had been successfully reduced, contrary to seasonal expectations. Efforts were ongoing to adapt the hot spots approach to emerging threats, such as the increasing all other theft crime type. The force maintained excellent response rates for incidents, which was beginning to translate into increasing outcome rates for theft and violence offences.

The report also noted a national increase in the terrorism threat level, with the City of London Police remaining proactive in its counter-terrorism protect and prepare approach. Victim satisfaction surveys were progressing, with workshops held to better understand victims' experiences. The force continued to maintain excellent service levels regarding victims' rights for its investigations. A change in reporting outcomes from April 2026 onwards might affect how outcome rates appear compared to previous reporting periods.

Overall crime had seen a 1.2% reduction in the past 12 months. Theft offences constituted the largest proportion of crime (65%), followed by violence offences (14%). The report detailed increases in theft from the person and violence without injury, while shoplifting and all other theft also saw increases compared to the previous quarter. A substantial decrease in drug trafficking was attributed to a specific recording issue.

Regarding response times, the force attended 100% of immediate grade theft incidents within the expected timeframe, exceeding the 95% service level. For significant grade theft incidents, 100% were attended within the 60-minute expectation. However, for extended grade theft incidents, only 80% were attended within the 48-hour expectation, falling below the 95% service level.

The report introduced a new national framework for recording investigatory outcomes, which would affect how the City of London Police calculates and reports its solved rates. Overall, the solved+ rate for theft offences closed in the quarter was 11.8%, a decrease from the previous quarter. For violence offences, the solved+ rate increased to 20.3%, exceeding the national average.

The City of London Police maintained a good service level in responding to violence incidents, attending 96.8% of immediate grade responses within 15 minutes, consistently above the 95% service level. However, attendance for significant grade violence incidents dropped slightly below the 95% service level at 94.6%.

The report detailed efforts to protect the City from terrorism, noting the UK threat level had been raised to SEVERE. Training packages for SCaN (See, Check and Notify) and ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) were delivered to over 375 individuals. Enhanced engagement with the Bevis Marks Synagogue continued, and a multi-agency exercise testing a marauding terrorist attack scenario was conducted. Prevent referrals remained low, with five referrals deconflicted and returned to the Metropolitan Police Service. Op Lightning reports increased by 34% compared to the previous quarter.

Victim satisfaction scores had increased since the previous quarter, with a 4% response rate to the victim satisfaction survey. The report highlighted that victim satisfaction was heavily influenced by feeling listened to, informed, and supported, rather than solely by the final outcome of an investigation. Areas for improvement included better explanations of the criminal justice and court processes. Compliance with the Victims Code of Practice remained high at 95.5%, above the internal minimum standard of 90%.

The report also noted that for victim-based crimes, 15.1% had a solved+ outcome rate, which was similar to the national average. Positive outcome rates were particularly noted for shoplifting (29.2%) and burglary – business (43.5%).

City of London Victims Strategy - Update

The committee received an update on the City of London Victims Strategy, published in December 2024. The strategy's commitment to improving victims' services and outcomes is reflected in the 2025-28 Policing Plan. The City of London Police has received positive HMICFRS inspection results, scoring outstanding on crime recording and consistently achieving over 94% compliance with the Victim Code of Practice.

The strategy has four priority areas: better information and communication, ensuring procedural justice, improved multi-agency working, and professionalism of victims' services. Of the thirteen measures within the strategy, seven have been delivered and six are in progress. Enabling measures, including improved governance, a new performance framework, and increased resourcing, have been delivered.

Key highlights included an opt-out approach to victim support referrals, leading to a 24% increase in victims referred to Victim Support. The City's funded Vulnerable Victim's Advocate (VVA) role has been increased to a full-time position due to a significant rise in demand. The redesigned victim satisfaction survey, now managed internally, allows for demographic analysis and has received 193 responses, with average satisfaction scores of 3.73 (post-reporting) and 3.28 (post-closure). Victim focus groups indicated that satisfaction is heavily influenced by feeling listened to, informed, and supported.

Work is underway to improve the victim journey post-charge and throughout court proceedings, with engagement with the Administration of Justice and Witness Care Units. The City of London Police is also exploring the potential introduction of a digital victim contact portal.

Strategic Engagement Plan Proposals

The committee was presented with proposals for a new Safer City Community Engagement Strategy 2026-2029 and its supporting Delivery Plan 2026-2027. This strategy aims to provide a more coordinated, evidence-led approach to engagement, responding to statutory requirements and the City of London Policing Plan commitment to strengthen engagement practice. The strategy aims to embed a more structured, evidence-based, and collaborative approach, ensuring communities have meaningful opportunities to influence policing priorities and community safety outcomes.

The report highlighted that community engagement is a core driver of public confidence and legitimacy, and is most effective when embedded in neighbourhood policing and used to identify and act on local issues. The strategy is informed by findings from the 2025 HMICFRS PEEL inspection, which noted the need for a more comprehensive engagement plan.

Since the previous committee meeting on 18 June 2026, officers have refined the strategic objectives of the three-year Strategy and developed the annual tactical plan. Between April and August 2026, a wide range of engagement activities were undertaken, including community meetings, crime prevention events, business engagement, resident forums, and outreach with diverse communities. Recurring concerns included phone and bag theft, retail crime, anti-social behaviour, cycling, and violence against women and girls.

The new framework will move reporting from a list of individual events to an assessment of audiences reached, gaps, insights gathered, actions taken, and resulting impact. The committee was asked to note the new strategy and delivery plan, endorse the further development of a coordinated delivery model, and note that the City of London Police's community engagement and communications requirements will inform the new City Corporation communications strategy.

The strategy is built on principles of being community-led, targeted and inclusive, partnership-based, scalable and universal, insight-driven, and accountable. It aims to prevent crime and harm, strengthen trust and confidence, strengthen feelings of safety, and strengthen accountability. The strategy will be delivered through a coordinated partnership approach involving the City of London Police, the Police Authority Team, the Safer City Partnership, and the City of London Corporation. The introduction of Safer City Forums will replace existing Cluster Panels as the primary mechanism for local priority setting.

The committee noted the extensive list of community engagement activities undertaken between April and August 2026, which covered a wide range of topics and audiences.