Andrew Dismore

Under questioning at the London Assembly yesterday, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe   conceded that the balance of the Mayor’s neighbourhood policing teams had “gone the wrong way” and is being reviewed, whilst Mayor  Boris Johnson admitted that the local policing model needs to “be improved”.

Following the restructure, Barnet  has lost 65 Police Officers (11%) and 108 PCSOs (63%), while London has recorded the third lowest police visibility rate in the country.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Stephen Greenhalgh, also admitted that the Met’s contact points, which Mayor Boris Johnson promised would provide an “equivalent or better service” than police counters, were “not being well used”, and that a full review of the contact points will be conducted. Figures released this week showed that contact points dealt with just an average of 1.3 people per week each.

Andrew Dismore, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Hendon and London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden said:

“The Mayor reorganised Safer Neighbourhood Teams a year ago, replacing the old ‘1,2,6’ structure for Barnet  (one Sergeant, two PCs and six PCSOs per ward) with a model in which each ward has just one dedicated PC and PCSO.

“I have long been calling for the Mayor to come clean and admit that his cuts to neighbourhood police teams have resulted in less visible police in our local communities. While this belated admission is welcome, he now needs to put a plan in place to reinstate dedicated officers to our neighbourhoods.

“I also note that at long last the Mayor has recognised that contact points are not providing an acceptable service for Barnet residents. Since 2010 we have seen a reduction of nearly 5,000 uniformed officers across the capital, coupled with the withdrawal of dedicated officers from local neighbourhoods. A rethink is clearly needed.

 

Notes

1.      The MPS has the third lowest proportion of officers that are deemed ‘visible’ in England and Wales 2013-14, at 52%. (Value for Money Profiles, HMIC, November 2013, p 43 ).

2.      A webcast of yesterday’s police committee session can be viewed online here.

“The loss of so many police  officers  and PCSOs in Barnet since the Conservatives came to power 4 years ago is deeply worrying, especially as the Conservative MP for Hendon made it one of his key pledges, to increase the number of police  officers. He has delivered the exact opposite and has nothing to say for himself about his broken promise.