Cressida Dick is leaving her job on 10 April after five years in the post, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's office said.
Khan will be working together with Home Secretary Priti Patel to appoint Dick's replacement, who will have to “address the deep cultural issues facing the Met police service”, the office added.
“The mayor thanks Dame Cressida Dick for her decades of public service. The mayor has been clear that candidates for the next commissioner must have a plan to restore the trust and confidence of Londoners", a spokesperson for the mayor of London said.
Dick's deputy, Sir Stephen House, will be temporarily serving as acting commissioner before a replacement is found.
The outgoing Met Police head took to Twitter to say she was honoured to have served the people.
Cressida Dick, 61, was the first female commissioner of the Met. She headed the police force for five years, but in the past couple of years faced much criticism from lawmakers and the public amid numerous reports of racism and sexism among police staff and also after the brutal killing of Sarah Everard by a Met Police officer in March 2021.
After speculation about her resignation first appeared, she publicly announced she had "no intention" to step down. However, the London mayor was apparently not convinced that Dick could carry out necessary reforms in the police if she were to stay on in the job.