The Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime (MOPAC) was established on 16 January 2012. It is led by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and supported (since 1 June 2012) by the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC), Stephen Greenhalgh.

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has several key roles as occupant of MOPAC, most importantly, setting the strategic direction and accountability for policing, in consultation with the public and victims of crime, as well as the commitments made in his manifesto. The Mayor achieves this by publishing a Police and Crime Plan. He must ensure that the public, the vulnerable and victims are represented.

He is responsible for the formal oversight of Scotland Yard including:

• budget-setting
• performance scrutiny
• policy development

Operational decision-making on day-to-day policing matters remains the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police – whose remit is guaranteed by a new Protocol (external website).

The Mayor has extensive financial responsibilities including:

• setting a budget for policing
• powers to commission services
• provide crime and disorder grants
• ensuring the Metropolitan Police Service is run efficiently and effectively given the limited resources available.

The Mayor must work with partners to prevent and tackle crime and re-offending. This means ensuring that the police:

• respond effectively to public concerns and threats to public safety
• promoting and enabling joined up working on community safety and criminal justice
• increasing public confidence in how crime is cut and policing delivered

In practice this means working with the criminal justice system and other partners to improve crime reduction, seek swift and sure justice for victims and reduce reoffending rates.

The delivery of policing cannot be defined within the strict confines of geographical boundaries, crime and criminality is fluid. There are some threats that require a cross-border or national response. This is particularly true for London, as a global capital city and the economic and political capital of the UK. The Mayor contributes to resourcing of the policing response to regional and national threats and ensures that London is able to play its part in respect of the Home Secretary’s 'strategic policing requirement'.

The Mayor has appointed Stephen Greenhalgh as statutory Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. The Deputy Mayor will discharge the vast majority of MOPAC’s duties however the Mayor remains responsible for issuing his Police and Crime Plan, and for the appointment and removal of senior Metropolitan police officers.

MOPAC is a statutory body and a corporation sole. As such, the Mayor’s role as occupant of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime is distinct from his role at the GLA. He is therefore required to make a separate declaration of interests in relation to the responsibilities that are discharged in this role.