Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
In 2021, as the world began to recover from the worst phases of the Coronavirus pandemic, dozens of officers and staff across the Met agreed to let a BBC documentary crew follow their every move.
The three previous seasons of ‘The Met’ showcased the realities of day to day policing and shone a light on the stark realities colleagues face as they respond to incidents, track down criminals and protect victims across the capital.
The latest season – starting on Tuesday, 24 October – once again showcases the breadth and complexity of policing, but in some of the most unique and complex environments our colleagues have ever encountered.
The BBC started filming at the beginning of the most challenging period the Metropolitan Police Service has faced. It is now being aired at a time of rapid and significant change.
A little over a year ago, under Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s leadership, the Met began a journey of huge reform. In July 2023 our New Met for London plan was published, setting out how the Met will change for the better over the next two years.
This season of ‘The Met’ shines a light on the commitment, passion and absolute emotional investment of colleagues across London. It is those colleagues, and tens of thousands of others, who are responsible for the progress we have made so far in reforming the Met into a service London, and our officers and staff, can be proud of.
Their work is often unseen, unappreciated and the bravery they demonstrate often hard for many to comprehend.
This documentary represents the best of the Metropolitan Police Service. We hope Londoners and beyond watch our colleagues do what they do best, and feel confident in our ability to become the organisation they expect.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “This is the Met opening its doors to independent crews so that they, and the public, can see the everyday policing that is happening across London 24/7. The editorial control has been with the BBC and they have shown us as they have found us. We know how important transparency is in earning public trust and Londoners having confidence in our community crime fighting approach which is the absolute foundation of our policing.
“I would like to thank the officers who took part – it took courage and leadership to open up their professional lives and allow the cameras to follow them. I’m very proud of this really human side of the police the public will get to see, it is an impressive, real and honest account of policing one of the biggest and most complex cities in the world.”
+ About the filming process:
This is the fourth time that BBC Studios has embedded in the Met and the series was made with the collaboration of hundreds of officers, all of whom agreed individually to take part.
Independent crews from BBC Studios embedded with teams from across the Met for ten months, from March to December 2021.
Filmmakers were given complete access to our 999 response, to dynamic investigations in real time and filmed officers and detectives as they made arrests, carried out surveillance on serious and violent offenders, and protected victims.
Episode one, broadcast on Tuesday, 24 October, follows detectives as they investigate the brutal murder of a teenager in south London, attempt to bring to justice a network of human traffickers for women into sex work and respond to emergency calls in Brixton.