---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Metropolitan Police has a very…"
description: "\"“The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations, not for them the detective’s gut instinct or the intricate logic..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg"
---

#  The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward…

![“The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations, not for them the detective’s gut instinct or the intricate logical deductions of the sleuth savant. No, what the Met likes to do is throw a shitload of manpower at the problem and run down every single lead until…” quote by Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg)

> ““The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations, not for them the detective’s gut instinct or the intricate logical deductions of the sleuth savant. No, what the Met likes to do is throw a shitload of manpower at the problem and run down every single lead until it is exhausted, the murderer is caught or the senior investigating officer dies of old age.””

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Met relies on massive manpower and exhaustive lead pursuit rather than intuition or deductive brilliance.

**In simple terms:** Police use brute force over gut feeling.

Key Takeaway

Balance resources with analytical thinking.

Themes

police work investigation methodology bureaucracy

Mood

critical analytical

Type

cautionary realistic

When to use this quote

- crime scenes
- detective units
- budget meetings

Key Concepts

resource allocation human factors investigative strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- Can intuition be integrated effectively?
- What are the costs of exhaustive searches?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on manpower can waste resources.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Approach Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach-murder-5724113/) [Gut instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gut-instinct/) [Investigations Detective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigations-detective-5724111/) [Metropolitan Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metropolitan-police-287374/) [Murder Investigations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-investigations-1963014/) [Old age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-age/) [Police Straightforward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-straightforward-5724112/)

## Related quotes

> [“Murder investigations start with the victim, because usually in the first instance that's all you've got. The study of the victim is called victimology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/murder-investigations-start-with-the-victim-because-usually-in-the/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“We can't have your people fighting each other," I said. The 'royal we' is very important in police work; it reminds the person you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/we-can-t-have-your-people-fighting-each-other-i-said-the-royal-we-is/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [The Metropolitan Police Service is still, despite what people think, a working-class organisation and as such rejects totally the notion of an officer class.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-metropolitan-police-service-is-still-despite-what-people-think-a/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [I gave the prescribed Metropolitan Police "first greeting". "Oi!" I said "What do you think you're doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/i-gave-the-prescribed-metropolitan-police-first-greeting-oi-i-said/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“Who made the 999 call?" "Dunno," said Purdy. "Mobile, probably." It's officers like Purdy that give the Metropolitan Police its sterling reputation for customer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/who-made-the-999-call-dunno-said-purdy-mobile-probably-it-s-officers/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [ “Naomi Misora, are you familiar with the murder investigation going in Los Angeles as we speak?" \[...\] "I am not so skilled that I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nisioisin/naomi-misora-are-you-familiar-with-the-murder-investigation-going-in/)

[NisiOisiN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nisioisin/)

> [“For heaven’s sake why would the Metropolitan Police be coming up to Iyntwood if their investigation was now down in London? Turning back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-arlen/for-heaven-s-sake-why-would-the-metropolitan-police-be-coming-up-to/)

[Tessa Arlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-arlen/)

> [Having lived in London since the 1980s, I would have come across, or my friends across, cops who were in the Metropolitan Police who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-dunbar/having-lived-in-london-since-the-1980s-i-would-have-come-across-or-my/)

[Adrian Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-dunbar/)

> [Some police forces would believe anything. Not the Metropolitan police, though. The Met was the hardest, most cynically pragmatic, most stubbornly down-to-earth police force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/some-police-forces-would-believe-anything-not-the-metropolitan-police/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There's no way you're going to get a quote from us to use on your book cover" - Metropolitan Police Spokesperson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/there-s-no-way-you-re-going-to-get-a-quote-from-us-to-use-on-your/)

[Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/)

> [Every woman wants to be wanted - just not by the entire Metropolitan police force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-lette/every-woman-wants-to-be-wanted-just-not-by-the-entire-metropolitan/)

[Kathy Lette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-lette/)

> [I go by the gut. I might not appear to have any talent but I've got plenty of gut instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-go-by-the-gut-i-might-not-appear-to-have-any-talent-but-i-ve-got/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Dejavu' is a subconcious reminder of the contract your soul signed long before you chose the body you would reside in on earth. Trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/dejavu-is-a-subconcious-reminder-of-the-contract-your-soul-signed/)

[Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/)

> [“No one knows what you have been through or what your pretty little eyes have seen, but I can reassure you ~ whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/no-one-knows-what-you-have-been-through-or-what-your-pretty-little/)

[Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/)

> [Often I used my gut instinct to ask the questions and get the answers I thought the audience wanted to hear. Sometimes the interviewees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-george/often-i-used-my-gut-instinct-to-ask-the-questions-and-get-the-answers/)

[Phyllis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-george/)

## More by Ben Aaronovitch

> [“He was from Yorkshire, or somewhere like that, and like many Northerners with issues, he'd moved to London as a cheap alternative to psychotherapy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/he-was-from-yorkshire-or-somewhere-like-that-and-like-many/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“I left in a hurry before he could change his mind, but I want to make it clear that at no point did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/i-left-in-a-hurry-before-he-could-change-his-mind-but-i-want-to-make/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [The general public have a warped view of the speed at which an investigation proceeds. They like to imagine tense conversations going on behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-general-public-have-a-warped-view-of-the-speed-at-which-an/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“Something round and dirty and white was resting near my foot. It was a skull. I picked it up. ‘Is that you, Nicholas?’ I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/something-round-and-dirty-and-white-was-resting-near-my-foot-it-was-a/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [Coffee arrived and the espresso was excellent, like an aromatic electric fence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/coffee-arrived-and-the-espresso-was-excellent-like-an-aromatic/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“Fuck me,' I said to Toby. 'We're living in Isengard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/fuck-me-i-said-to-toby-we-re-living-in-isengard/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“Peter Grant,’ I said. ‘Recent arrival, slacker and man of very little fame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/peter-grant-i-said-recent-arrival-slacker-and-man-of-very-little-fame/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [What do you think you're doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/what-do-you-think-you-re-doing/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“My mum translated this in her head to "witchfinder," which was good because like most West Africans, she considered witchfinding a more respectable profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/my-mum-translated-this-in-her-head-to-witchfinder-which-was-good/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“Right from the start Abigail used to moan and fidget as her hair was relaxed or braided or thermally reconditioned, but her dad was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/right-from-the-start-abigail-used-to-moan-and-fidget-as-her-hair-was/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“The mark was from the glue that once held a folder into which a library card would have fitted back in the day when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-mark-was-from-the-glue-that-once-held-a-folder-into-which-a/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [It's a sad fact of modern life that if you drive long enough, sooner or later you must leave London behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/it-s-a-sad-fact-of-modern-life-that-if-you-drive-long-enough-sooner/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [This I know for a fact: the reason African women have children is so that there's someone else to do the housework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/this-i-know-for-a-fact-the-reason-african-women-have-children-is-so/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [“There’s always a secret door,” I said. “That’s why you always need a thief in your party.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/there-s-always-a-secret-door-i-said-that-s-why-you-always-need-a/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

> [ You know, your species \[humans\] has the most amazing capacity for self-deception, matched only by its ingenuity in trying to destroy itself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/you-know-your-species-humans-has-the-most-amazing-capacity-for-self/)

[Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

[Explore all 134 Ben Aaronovitch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/)

## More Gut instinct quotes

> [Often I used my gut instinct to ask the questions and get the answers I thought the audience wanted to hear. Sometimes the interviewees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-george/often-i-used-my-gut-instinct-to-ask-the-questions-and-get-the-answers/)

[Phyllis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-george/)

> [“No one knows what you have been through or what your pretty little eyes have seen, but I can reassure you ~ whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/no-one-knows-what-you-have-been-through-or-what-your-pretty-little/)

[Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/)

> [“Dejavu' is a subconcious reminder of the contract your soul signed long before you chose the body you would reside in on earth. Trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/dejavu-is-a-subconcious-reminder-of-the-contract-your-soul-signed/)

[Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/)

> [I go by the gut. I might not appear to have any talent but I've got plenty of gut instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-go-by-the-gut-i-might-not-appear-to-have-any-talent-but-i-ve-got/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Learn to let your intuition-gut instinct-tell you when the food, the relationship, the job isn't good for you (and conversely, when what you're doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/learn-to-let-your-intuition-gut-instinct-tell-you-when-the-food-the/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [If you feel something artistic, you need to get it out of you, do it. You gotta get out and play in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wyse/if-you-feel-something-artistic-you-need-to-get-it-out-of-you-do-it/)

[Chris Wyse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wyse/)

> [Trust your gut instinct over spreadsheets. There are too many variables in the real world that you simply can't put into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/trust-your-gut-instinct-over-spreadsheets-there-are-too-many/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [“Before religion got organized, faith in God meant trusting your intuition, your gut instinct, as divine. It meant always letting conscience be your guide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-jackowski/before-religion-got-organized-faith-in-god-meant-trusting-your/)

[Karol Jackowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-jackowski/)

> [“Every small things grows when you nurture it, Rosie. Love is just the same. But it that is making you miserable then leave and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/every-small-things-grows-when-you-nurture-it-rosie-love-is-just-the/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [I give it to The Based God who really informs me and gives me that gut instinct and the power to say who's cursed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/i-give-it-to-the-based-god-who-really-informs-me-and-gives-me-that/)

[Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/)

> [An egg is a beautiful, sophisticated thing that can create even more sophisticated things, such as chickens. And we know in our heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/an-egg-is-a-beautiful-sophisticated-thing-that-can-create-even-more/)

[David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/)

> [I'm so respectful of good writing. It's the blueprint for the movie. You have to have that script there because, if you don't, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-shannon/i-m-so-respectful-of-good-writing-it-s-the-blueprint-for-the-movie/)

[Molly Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-shannon/)

> [“Gut instinct said she was bound to be up to her neck in trouble. She always was. Gut instinct was right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shehanne-moore/gut-instinct-said-she-was-bound-to-be-up-to-her-neck-in-trouble-she/)

[Shehanne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shehanne-moore/)

> [I'd quit ballet school, which I thought was going to be my path, but my gut instinct told me to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-vikander/i-d-quit-ballet-school-which-i-thought-was-going-to-be-my-path-but-my/)

[Alicia Vikander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-vikander/)

> [It's gut instinct that helps me determine how to write a story. I love the surreal because I am faced with the challenge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/it-s-gut-instinct-that-helps-me-determine-how-to-write-a-story-i-love/)

[Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/)

[Browse all 78 Gut instinct quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gut-instinct/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations, not for them the detective’s gut instinct or the intricate logical deductions of the sleuth savant. No, what the Met likes to do is throw a shitload of manpower at the problem and run down every single lead until it is exhausted, the murderer is caught or the senior investigating officer dies of old age.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ben Aaronovitch"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-straightforward-approach-to-murder/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Gut instinct"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-straightforward-approach-to-murder/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/ben-aaronovitch-3199_gut-instinct_the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-strai_2351023.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations, not for them the…” — Ben Aaronovitch",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ben Aaronovitch",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The Metropolitan Police has a very...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-straightforward-approach-to-murder/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-metropolitan-police-has-a-very-straightforward-approach-to-murder/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
