Andrew Dismore

PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE: 27/6/11

ASSEMBLY MEMBER COLEMAN FAILS TO STAND UP FOR LOCAL POLICE

Andrew Dismore, the Labour candidate for the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden, has just received the response to a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police which has revealed that in the 3 years since he was last elected Conservative Assembly member Brian Coleman has not written to the Met. even once, raising concerns about  Safer Neighbourhood and Safer Transport Police team numbers and deployments. (FoI attached below).

Mr Dismore said:

“It is appalling that the police have no record of Assembly member for Barnet and Camden having written with any concerns about the strength of our SNT and STT teams. It has been clear for some time that they have been under threat from Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.  The boundaries of the ward based teams are breaking down and we have just learned that the two Boroughs are to lose 9 SNT sergeants between them.

As for the STTs, when they were first introduced by former Mayor Ken Livingstone, Mr Coleman dismissed them as a “gimmick”.

Serious and damaging as these cuts are, it will come as a real shock to local people that their Assembly member apparently could not be bothered to put pen to paper or sit in front of his computer to compose even one letter to the Met. to raise objections or concerns about the SNT police cuts, imposed by the Conservative Government and Mayor.

If I am elected to the London Assembly next year I will stand up for our local police teams and make sure local people’s views are properly represented to New Scotland Yard and City Hall”.

 

Note to editors

Response by Metropolitan Police to Mr Dismore’s FoI request:

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2011060000256

I write in connection with your request for information which was received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 27/05/2011.  I note you seek access to the following information:

• “Please provide copies of all correspondence sent to and received from Cllr Brian Coleman AM for Barnet and Camden on the following issues: safer neighbourhood policing in Barnet safer neighbourhood policing in Camden safer transport policing in Barnet safer transport policing in Camden police officer and PCSO numbers in Barnet police officer and PCSO numbers in Camden .”
• Upon clarification you required ‘for SNTs,  and STTs, I am seeking  correspondence relating to the strength in officer numbers and deployment decisions concerning the teams and for this to reflect 3 years.’

 Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within the MPS to locate information relevant to your request.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted at within Camden Borough, Barnet Borough, Safer Transports,  Traffic Criminal Justice and Traffic departments within the MPS.

RESULT OF SEARCHES

The searches failed to locate any information relevant to your request, therefore, the information you have requested is not held by the MPS.

ends