Happy 191st Birthday to the Metropolitan Police Service.

Founded in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel the first Metropolitan Police officers took to the streets of London on 29th September 1829.

The initial force consisted of two Commissioners, eight Superintendents, 20 Inspectors, 88 Sergeants and 895 Constables.

These officers patrolled within a seven-mile radius of Charing Cross.

Between 1829 and 1830, 17 local divisions, each with its own police station were established, each lettered A to V. In 1865 three more divisions were created lettered W to Y and in 1886 J Division (Bethnal Green) was added.

There have been 28 Met Police Commissioners, 27 Male and one Female, the current Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick.

The original Met headquarters was in Whitehall which had a rear entrance on to Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance and over time the street became synonymous with the Met.

The Met moved to 10 Broadway and New Scotland Yard in 1967 and in 2016 relocated to Victoria Embankment with the old Whitehall Police Station becoming the new, New Scotland Yard.

The oldest Police Station still in operation in the Met, is Wapping. It first opened in 1908 and is now the base for the Mets Marine Unit

The Met has grown to include approximately:
30,980 regular attested Police Constables.
1,268 Police Community Support Officers.
9,145 civilian Police staff.
1,749 Special Constables.
614 Designated Detention Officers.
And around 250 dogs and 120 horses.

In those 191 years 761 Met Police Officers and Staff have lost their lives in the line of duty with 230 lost during WW2.

The 1st casualty was PC Joseph Grantham 28th June 1830 who was beaten to death. A verdict of justifiable homicide was returned by the jury at the trial of his killers indicating the level of dislike that the early constables faced from the public.

Our most recent loss was Police Sergeant Matt Ratana who was murdered 25th September 2020.

In 191 years members of Met have been awarded 2 Albert Medals, 174 Kings Police Medals for Gallantry, 30 Kings Police and Fire Service Medals, 4 Posthumous Queens Gallantry Medals, 5 George Crosses, 123 George Medals, 81 British Empire Medals and 49 Queens Gallantry Medals.

PC Robert Grant served in the Met after winning a Victoria Cross during the Indian Mutiny 24th September 1857.

Much has changed over our 191 years. We should be proud of those who came before us and we should ensure we make the future generation proud of us.

Happy Birthday team.