Metropolitan Police Service
"Metropolitan Police" redirects here. For the police department of Washington, D.C., see Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. For police forces of other major metropolitan areas, see metropolitan police. Metropolitan Police Service Logo Flag Common name The Met [1] Abbreviation MPS [2] Motto Total Policing [1] Agency overview Formed 29 September 1829 ; 189 years ago ( 1829-09-29 ) [3] Preceding agencies Bow Street Runners [4] Marine Police Force [7] Employees 43,000+ in total [5] 31,075 police officers [5] 8,732 police staff [5] 1,464 PCSOs [5] Volunteers 2,763 special constables 1,500 Met Police volunteers 3,658 volunteer police cadets Annual budget £3.24 billion [6] Legal personality Police force Jurisdictional structure Operations jurisdiction Greater London, England, United Kingdom Map of police area Size 1,578 km 2 (609 sq mi) Population more than 8 million [8] L