The Metropolitan Police will cut 1,700 officers, staff, and community support officers due to a £260 million funding gap.
Despite increased contributions from central and local government, the force says it must make “substantial tough choices” to address the shortfall.
With violent crime, mobile phone theft, and shoplifting on the rise, senior officers warn that a “rapidly shrinking Met” will be forced to scale back services.
London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan announced a record £1.16 billion investment from City Hall, calling it essential for a “chronically underfunded” force.
He assured the public that 935 neighbourhood policing roles would be protected. He also promised no cuts to emergency response teams, “which the public rely on at times of crisis.”
However, Khan confirmed that the unit policing the eight Royal Parks would be disbanded and merged into local ward policing.
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This decision has faced strong opposition from councils and victims. Officers stationed in schools will also be affected.
An appendix to the budget report on the Royal Parks unit stated: “There will be a significant reduction in visible policing within the parks and reduced local / specialist knowledge regarding events and legislation.”
Several specialised units will also face cuts. The Dogs Unit and Mounted Branch will be reduced by seven percent and 25 percent, respectively. The MO7 Taskforce, which targets gang-related crime and moped and e-bike robberies, will be reduced by 55 per cent.
Cold case investigations—focused on crimes committed “many years or decades ago”—will see an 11 percent cut. The anti-robbery Flying Squad will lose one-fifth of its officers and may have its firearms capability removed as part of cost-cutting measures.
In December, Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley warned that the Met might need to cut 2,300 officers and 400 staff from its 46,000-strong workforce.
To balance the budget, police station front counters could also see reduced opening hours, leaving only a few accessible 24 hours a day.
Some of these cuts may be mitigated by an additional £32 million in funding, but the force still faces a significant shortfall.
A Met spokeswoman said: “We are very grateful for the additional funding we have received from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the Home Office.
“While this new funding decreases our original funding gap from £450m, it leaves us with a £260m shortfall and we will have to make substantial tough choices, reducing our size by over 1,700 officers, staff and PCSOs and therefore our services.
“This places an extraordinary stretch on our dedicated men and women. The Commissioner is incredibly grateful and humbled by what they achieve with increased demand and a rapidly shrinking Met.”
Khan blamed past government funding reductions for the Met’s financial struggles.
He said, “The previous government chronically underfunded the Met, making cuts to policing in London that were in real terms equivalent to more than £1.1 billion.
“This has left the Met in an extremely difficult financial situation.
“As Mayor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to support the police.
“That’s why I’m announcing a record £1.16bn annual investment in the police from City Hall. This historic increase will protect neighbourhood policing in our communities and significantly reduce the level of cuts the Met had been planning.
“It will also mean the Met can continue to reform and build on the crime reductions we have achieved in the capital, with violence, knife crime involving young people and burglary all down.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.
“However, tough decisions have been made to protect neighbourhood policing and I’m under no illusions about the challenges ahead.
“As Mayor, I will continue to work with the new government and the Met – ahead of the forthcoming spending review – to ensure the Met gets the sustainable funding it needs to help us to build a safer London for everyone,” he added.
(THE STANDARD)
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