The London Police Service (LPS) officers’ use of force rate showed little change in comparison to the previous year, but data indicates an increasing reliance on Tasers for de-escalation purposes. In a recent presentation to the London Police Service Board, an annual report highlighted the frequency of force usage in 2025, the circumstances triggering its use, and the locations where incidents occurred.
The report revealed a total of 368 use-of-force reports in 2025, marking a slight increase from the 337 reports filed in the preceding year. Despite this uptick, the proportion of calls for service resulting in a use-of-force report remained relatively stable, as stated by London Police Inspector Angela Johnson.
In 2025, London police responded to 71,036 service calls, up from 67,938 in 2024. Use-of-force reports were documented in 0.46% of calls last year, compared to 0.45% in the previous year. The report indicated that force was employed against 477 individuals across 330 separate incidents, with the number of reports exceeding the actual incidents due to the involvement of multiple officers in some cases.
Officer attempts at de-escalation before resorting to force increased to 91% in 2025, up from 86% in 2024, according to Johnson. She emphasized that while de-escalation remains a fundamental aspect of police training and response, there are circumstances necessitating immediate officer action.
Additionally, 21 additional use-of-force reports involving animals were filed by the police. The report outlined the criteria that constitute use of force, including the drawing, pointing, or discharging of firearms, as well as the use of weapons or Tasers to gain compliance.
Regarding the reasons for employing force, a majority of the 477 individuals subjected to force in 2025 were believed to have access to a weapon, with over half associated with handguns. The report highlighted that the most common instances involving force were related to weapons calls, where Tasers, handguns, and rifles were predominantly used.
Race-based data indicated minimal changes from 2024 to 2025 in terms of the perceived racial identity of individuals involved in incidents. The downtown and Old East Village areas continued to be identified as locations where officers were more likely to report using force. The detailed report can be accessed for further information.