Andrew Dismore

Dear editor,

It is little wonder that people in Hampstead are resorting to crowd funding to pay for local police officers. The Metropolitan Police have grappled with years of extensive government cuts and with further budget cuts on the horizon, communities are understandably seeking to do all they can to protect local policing.

The fall out from Boris Johnson’s decision to reduce neighbourhood teams from six officers to two will only be exacerbated by impending cuts, which could reach £1billion. Indeed, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has conceded that London could lose thousands of uniformed officers. PCSOs, who play an integral part in community policing, could be lost completely.

Of course communities will want to do their best to mitigate the impact of reduced neighbourhood policing. However, Sir Hogan Howe’s concern about extra policing only going to those who can afford it is a legitimate worry to have.

Boris Johnson’s ‘buy one get one free’ offer might work for areas like Hampstead, who have the means to gather the necessary resource. Yet it delivers a great disservice to poorer areas, many of which have traditionally struggled with higher levels of crime. Yes, we need to address the impact of government cuts, but the last thing we want to see is a two-tier police service in London.

Yours,

Andrew Dismore AM

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden