Sophie Linden to stand down as London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that Sophie Linden is to step down as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.
The Mayor has paid tribute to Sophie for her exceptional service to Londoners, serving as Deputy Mayor since Sadiq was first elected in 2016, and playing an integral role in keeping Londoners safe and reforming the Metropolitan Police.
Sophie Linden is leaving City Hall to take up a new position as a senior adviser to Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood MP.
In her eight years as Deputy Mayor, Sophie has been instrumental in working with the Metropolitan Police to combat crime as well as supporting the Met to reform and modernise.
During her time in office, London has seen a reduction in homicides, gun crime, burglary and the number of young people being injured with knives. City Hall has also provided over £1.1bn of investment in policing delivering 1,300 additional police officers to London’s streets.
She has also worked to invest over £233m in services and initiatives to prevent violence against women and girls and put the Met on a path of far-reaching systematic and cultural reform.**
The Mayor will announce Sophie’s successor in due course.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I want to pay tribute to the exceptional service that Sophie Linden has given to London during the last eight years.
“In the context of huge challenges facing the Met, particularly around funding, Sophie has worked hard to ensure that in London we’re both tough on crime but also tackling its complex causes head on, while putting the Met on a path to fundamental reform.
“Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe and it has been an honour to work alongside Sophie as we continue to invest record amounts in the police and address the deep-rooted cultural problems that the force faces so it can regain the trust of Londoners and help us build a safer London for everyone.”
Sophie Linden said: “It has been a huge privilege to serve the capital as Deputy Mayor for the last eight years. I'm proud of the progress we have made by being tough on crime and its complex causes, working with communities, key partners and the police, to build a safer London for all.
“Policing in London is far more diverse, transparent and accountable than when I started. Of course, there is still a lot more to do but I am pleased to have helped chart a new course – which will work to deliver better performance, accountability and crucially work to rebuild the confidence and trust all London’s communities have in the Met.”
Notes to editors
Sophie Linden will leave the Mayor’s team on Friday 18 October. Her successor will be announced in due course.
Crimes which have fallen over the Mayoralty (twelve-month period to May 2016 compared to twelve-month period to August 2024):
- Knife crime with injury victims aged under 25 years (down 24%)
- Gun crime (down 5%)
- Lethal Barrel Discharge (down 40%)
- Homicide (down 7%, eight fewer offences)
- Burglary (down 21%)
**Additional key achievements as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime:
- Working with the Mayor, Sophie has been a driving force of the cultural and performance reforms of the Met police including supporting the Baroness Casey review and working with a new Commissioner to deliver a New Met for London plan to raise standards, improve performance, deliver on local priorities and rebuild the trust and confidence of all of London’s communities in the service.
- Played a key role in setting up England’s first Violence Reduction Unit, which is leading a partnership approach to tackling violence that is rooted in prevention and early intervention. This includes additional youth workers, more support for families and local communities, and programmes inside and outside school hours to divert young people away from violence and towards employment.
- Helped deliver targeted action by the Mayor’s flagship London Gang Exit programme which supported hundreds of young people across all London boroughs leave or reduce their involvement in criminal gangs. Oversaw the Mayor’s Rescue and Response intervention scheme which successfully diverted hundreds of young Londoners away from the dangers and exploitation of County Lines into support, mentoring and positive opportunities.
- Worked with the Mayor to champion a public health approach to ending the violence and misogyny too many women and girls face. Oversaw record funding for services working to save lives, address waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. This including leading the response for emergency accommodation and support for domestic abuse victims fleeing abuse during the pandemic.
- Acted swiftly on the recommendations of the Baroness Casey Review and worked with the Mayor to successfully establish a new London Policing Board that is working to oversee and scrutinise reform of the Met.
- Worked with the Mayor and communities to invest a record £15m, to support victims services and empower grassroot community groups to tackle hate, intolerance and extremism across the capital.
- Led the beginning of Operation Soteria with the Met which has helped transform the way police and the CPS investigate and prosecute rape in this country and improved the handling of victims mobile phone data and sensitive information.
- Targeting investment in Metropolitan Police reform to make a real difference: £2.5 million invested into MetCC last year has seen their 999 response times rise dramatically to over 90% answered in under ten seconds.
- Oversaw the overhaul of the Met’s Gangs Matrix, and its transformation to the Violence Harm Assessment which is helping the Met pursue the most prolific offenders and, where appropriate, provide an opportunity to work with partners to support those who are vulnerable to violence, gangs and criminal exploitation.
- Developed the Mayor’s Action Plan to improve transparency, accountability, and trust in policing in 2020. This influenced the National Police Chiefs Council’s Race Action Plan.