Commander

A commander is a Metropolitan Police Service core position within policing. It's a force leader role in the policing professional profiles. 

Role purpose

The commander is directly accountable for leading and commanding the operational policing responses within their designated area of responsibility or specialism. 

They are responsible for reviewing and driving culture and performance within their designated area of responsibility or specialism to provide a professional, effective and efficient policing service in line with the direction and vision of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

In collaboration with other chief officers, the commander is responsible for setting standards, direction and culture for the MPS. This builds public and organisational confidence and trust and enables the delivery of a professional, effective and efficient policing service. 

The commander contributes to the development of regional and national policing within a specific area of expertise and may be accountable for national operations or standard setting.

Key responsibilities

Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.

• Leading the implementation of the organisational and operational strategy for the MPS, in alignment with wider plans and objectives such as the Police and Crime Plan for London 2022 to 2025 and Strategic Policing Requirement 2023 to provide an effective and efficient policing service that meets current and future policing demands. 
• Supporting management board to lead the MPS, embedding and role modelling the organisational culture, promoting values, ethics and high standards of professional conduct. Improving employee engagement to enable a fair, effective and professional service. 
• Developing operational plans in collaboration with chief officers, ensuring resources are in place to enable the effective implementation of the service delivery plan within own area of responsibility or specialism. 
• Leading major change projects to enhance productivity, value for money and enable continuous improvement of effective policing practice across the service. 
• Leading, inspiring, motivating and engaging a team of senior policing professionals, promoting workforce wellbeing and inclusivity. Facilitating impactful professional development and performance management to create an empowered team that are representative of the public they serve and can effectively enable the achievement of the MPS objectives. 
• Being responsible for the delivery of MPS operational strategies and policing responses and investigations across their function, business area or specialism to ensure an efficient policing service which enables effective law enforcement and public protection. 
• Identifying, mitigating and managing serious threat, risk and harm within own area of responsibility or specialism. Assessing the potential for financial, community confidence and political impact across the whole of the MPS. Where appropriate providing operational information to management board to ensure a cohesive, efficient organisational response to serious risks. 
• As a chief officer and part of the on-call team, leading and commanding the operational policing response to particularly high risk, high-profile, pan-London and/or cross-organisational major events and serious investigations. Setting strategic objectives and priorities, assessing and managing threat and risks and directing the deployment of resources to ensure an appropriate and effective response in line with legal and service requirements. 
• Effectively measuring, evaluating and reporting on performance within own area of responsibility or specialism. Utilising findings to drive improvements in service delivery. 
• Being MPS, regional or national lead on multiple portfolios, potentially unrelated to own area of responsibility or specialism. Developing national thinking and driving procedural or policy change to enable the continuous improvement of effective policing practice. 
• Representing the MPS, adhering to the principle of operational independence. When required liaising with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to provide operational information in relation to own area of responsibility or professionalism to enable the Mayor to provide public assurance. 
• Developing and maintaining strategic relationships with local and regional partners. Effectively influencing and collaborating to enable the achievement of objectives for own area of responsibility or specialism to improve public safety and build trust and confidence in policing. 
• Representing the MPS at a local, regional and national level to the public, media and other external stakeholders to support the Commissioner and management board. Promoting visibility, connecting with the public and building confidence in policing. 
• Effectively managing and encouraging development, change and innovation, ensuring enhanced productivity, value for money and continuous improvement in evidence-based policing.