Ride-Along scheme

The Ride-Along scheme offers members of the public the chance to join our officers on patrol and experience daily policing first hand. 

The scheme forms part of the New Met for London plan which focuses on more trust, less crime and high standards. 

Please note: Due to current huge demand for our services, spaces on this scheme are very limited. We can only consider applications if you meet the below criteria. We'll only accept one application per person in a 12 month period. Repeat applications within this period will be automatically closed.

This doesn’t apply to our critical partners, who might wish to join officers on a Ride-Along as part of their partnership with us.

Who the scheme is open to

You must be aged 18 or over. 

It is for people who are either or both:

• living in London who want to see what we do
• interested in becoming a Met police officer

If you don’t meet this criteria, please contact your local police force to see if they have a similar scheme.

You'll also need to pass a criminal record check. 

Having a previous conviction doesn't necessarily mean you can't use the scheme. We review each application on a case by case basis.

Please note: if you are a Met critical partner or Met staff with existing pre-approved vetting clearance, you won't be subject to further criminal record checks. However, we still require you to complete the standard application form below. This is to ensure we're able to electronically record your acknowledgment of the terms and conditions, the confidentiality agreement, and the participant briefing on the day of participation. Please use the free text field within the 'what you want to achieve' field of the application form to notify us of your position or partnership with the Met.

Who you can choose to ride with

You can join officers from the following units.

• Emergency Policing Response Team: these officers go to emergency calls, such as burglary or assaults.
• Territorial Support Group: this team goes out to emergency calls involving major or critical incidents and work in the known gang areas.
• Roads Policing Team: these officers police London's road network, going to serious and fatal collisions and incidents.

What to expect 

You'll get an insight into what it’s like to be a police officer on shift and an opportunity to speak to police officers on a one-to-one basis. This is useful if you're considering policing as a career. It's also an opportunity to gain greater knowledge of how we police, including how stop and search powers are used. 

You can give feedback to police from your perspective as a member of the community.

The aim of the scheme is for us to strengthen relationships with the public and help people understand more about how we police. 

On the day, we'll ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement and participant briefing sheet. 

Please note we may need to end a Ride-Along due to emergency situations or conditions where you may be at risk. 

Terms and conditions

Before completing your application, please read the information below. It explains the terms and conditions that you must abide by in order to participate in the scheme. You must: 

• be aged 18 or over
• be aware that criminal record and intelligence checks will be made beforehand. These include checks against police databases. Previous convictions will not automatically stop a Ride-Along as each case will be considered individually
• complete and agree to confidentiality agreement and participant briefing sheet on the day of the Ride-Along
• follow any instructions given to you by your accompanying police officer at all times during the Ride-Along. For example, whilst observing incidents you may be asked to leave or remain in a police vehicle or move to a place of safety
• know that we reserve the right to refuse participation in this scheme and to terminate the ride-Along at any point, if it is necessary for the officer to carry out their duties effectively, efficiently and safely
• be aware that due to being close to operational activity, you may be recorded on body-worn video by the hosting officers, acting in the course of their duties

You must also be aware that your personal and ethnicity information will be kept for a period of six years as per our data retention policies. This will apply even if you withdraw your application, or your application is rejected

The reasons for this retention include the following: 

• highlight any rejected applications from the same applicant
• highlight terminated ride-alongs from the same applicant, due to their inappropriate or dangerous behaviour

This process protects the safety of host officers and members of the public who might be impacted by the actions of participants. In addition, complaints against police and civil injury claims can be made up to a period of six years after the event, so the retention period allows for this. 

Our commitment to inclusivity

The Met is committed to running an inclusive scheme with focused attention on the communities we serve.

The scheme should be a positive experience for all and we have a responsibility to keep you, the public and our officers safe. If you are accepted on the scheme, you may be required to enter and exit a police vehicle quickly, sit or stand for long periods of time and be around loud noises, and walk for a considerable time. In order for us to mitigate risks in this regard, please inform us if you might require any reasonable adjustments for any medical, mobility or other conditions, which we will endeavour to accommodate on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply

The Ride-Along scheme is temporarily closed while we make some organisational changes to frontline policing. If you're a Met critical partner requiring a ride‑along, please contact your local Met representative who'll be able to make arrangements directly.