The Metropolitan Police will cut over 1,700 officers, including those in the areas of serious organised crime and forensics. They also plan to reduce staffing levels for dog teams, Royal Parks, mounted police and historic crimes.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan blamed the previous Conservative government for the PS260 million hole that was in the budget of the city’s upcoming year.
The mayor’s record funding of PS1.6bn has not been able to stop the cuts, despite Sir Mark Rowley the Met Commissioner warning of the loss 2,300 officers.
Khan stressed that the new Labour Government had made unprecedented investments. He told BBC London that “in one year, you cannot undo 14 years of damage.” “What we are seeing is the result of 14 years of cutbacks.”
The Met has said that it will protect frontline services, such as neighborhood policing, and efforts to reform the police force, despite cuts.
Met Police spokeswoman: “We’re very grateful for the extra funding we received from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac), and the Home Office.
This new funding reduces our initial funding gap of PS450 million but leaves us with a PS260million shortfall. We will be forced to make some tough decisions, including reducing the size of our officers, staff, and [police support officers] as well as our services by more than 1,700.
This is a tremendous strain on our men and women. The commissioner is grateful and humbled at what they accomplish with an increased demand and a Met that is rapidly shrinking. We will work with the Home Office and Mopac to ensure that the Met is on a sound financial footing in the months ahead.
Gareth Roberts is the leader of Richmond Borough Council, which includes Richmond Park. He said that the decision to reduce parks policing had been a “huge error”.
He said, “It is short-sighted.” Royal Parks officers have been in the parks over 150 years. In those 150 years, a vast amount of information has been accumulated about the parks, their regulations and the crimes that occur in them.
The idea that the local wards will be able fully to police these unique spaces just doesn’t add up. We already know that local wards are overstretched.
In total, there will also be a 10% cut in forensics. There will also be an 11% reduction to the historic crime teams. The number of dedicated officers in schools will also decrease, and the hours at police stations’ front desks will be cut.
Councillor Roberts said: “With the continuing strain on resources in the borough and city, residents feel their concerns about security aren’t being addressed. And decisions like these undermine public confidence.”
Matt Cane, the general secretary of Metropolitan Police Federation said that any cuts to police funding – despite Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement on funding – would only make the dire situation worse.
“The only thing that you’ll get is a less effective London Police Service for the public with 1,700 fewer officers, staff, and PCSOs.”
In 2004, the Met Police assumed responsibility for policing London parks from Royal Parks Constabulary.
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