Andrew Dismore

Whilst the Conservatives may talk the talk about  supporting our police, their record is very different.

It has become increasingly clear to me, as I have taken my petition round to protest at the emergency services’ cuts, that most local residents agree with me, too.

Police budgets cut under the Conservatives:

The Conservatives  have already cut the Metropolitan Police by £600 million- with a further £400 million to come over the next four years- a third of their budget. Yet despite these cuts, they still wasted money on water cannons that can’t be used in London!

Police officers cut under the Conservatives:

in Barnet,  the current police numbers are:

* 520 warranted officers, which is 14% or 87 fewer

* 48 PCSOs, 72% or 124 fewer

Barnet has lost 26% of its police force compared to 2010 when the Conservatives came to power:  87 fewer police officers and 124 fewer PCSOs.

In Camden, the current police numbers are:

* 884 warranted officers, which is 26% or 229 fewer

* 29 PCSOs, 76% or 91 fewer

Camden  has lost 32% of its police  force compared to 2010 when the Conservatives came to power:  229 fewer police officers and 91 fewer PCSOs.

We have far less experienced officers too, as more experienced ones have left the force, especially sergeants.  Across London the number of sergeants in the Met has dropped from 6,069 in May 2010 to  just 3,072 in December 2015.

Of Barnet’s remaining police,  164 officers –  that’s 30% of the total-  have less than 2 years’ experience.

Of Camden’s remaining police,   185 officers –  that’s 27% of the total-  have less than 2 years’ experience.

The  Conservatives’  promise to ‘double the number of Special Constables’  is  in tatters. In Barnet the number fell 28% from 156 in May 2012 to only 112 in December 2015.

The  Conservatives’  promise to ‘double the number of Special Constables’  is  in tatters. In Camden the number fell 49% from 268 in May 2012 to only 137 in December 2015.

Across London, we are short of between 700 and 800 trained detectives in London.

At the end of February 2016 there were only 54 detectives in Barnet. The establishment number is 81, so we are 27 short locally.

At the end of February 2016 there were 73 detectives in Camden.  The establishment number is 114, so we are 41 short locally.

The bad news doesn’t end there, I am afraid, either. We continue to suffer from abstractions, where our officers are taken off borough to plug gaps elsewhere, usually central London events: 728 officer shifts across Barnet and Camden every month!

The end of Safer Neighbourhood Policing under the Conservatives:

When Labour was in office, we developed the very popular ward based Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Their officers were known in the communities they served. They provided reassurance, a local contact, collected information, (as the former head of  counter terrorism said,  vital in the fight against terrorism), deterred crime ,  and caught criminals.

In Barnet, when I was Hendon’s MP I negotiated enhanced teams of 9 officers in each ward, led by their own sergeants : now we have just 1PC and 1 PCSO.

In Camden we had teams of 6 officers in each ward, led by their own sergeants: now we have just 1PC and 1 PCSO.

Police Station Closures under the Conservatives:

Barnet lost Whetstone and Golders Green Police Stations; and High Barnet’s has much reduced opening  hours. Only Colindale remains fully open.

Camden lost Hampstead, West Hampstead and Albany Street Police Stations.  Holborn has reduced opening hours. Only Kentish Town remains fully open.

Poor response to emergency  calls under the Conservatives:

In Barnet, over 3 months to February, on average the Met. failed to respond to the most serious emergency  calls ( known as ‘I’ calls, which should be answered within  15 minutes) on time in 15% of cases; and for the next category ( ‘S’ calls which should be answered within 1 hour )  in  14% of cases.

In Camden, over 3 months to February on average the Met. failed to respond to the most serious emergency calls ( known as ‘I’ calls, which should be answered within  15 minutes) on time in 8.6% of cases; and for the next category ( ‘S’ calls which should be answered within 1 hour )  in  10.2% of cases.

Crime is rising under the Conservatives:

When they took power, the Conservatives inherited a picture of falling   crime, which continued until their cuts started to bite. Now, crime is rising dramatically. Across the Met. as a whole, crime is up 3.98% year on year.

In Barnet, of the 24 crime categories on which the Met reports, crime is up in all but three. Even the Metropolitan  Police Commissioner, when he came to Barnet  in February admitted this. He said overall crime is up 6.4%, year on year.  Burglary is up 6.5%:  3 of the 10 most burgled locations in the whole of the UK are in  Barnet! Violent crime is up  17.9%, with knife crime up 22.3%. Faith hate crime (including anti Semitism and Islamophobia) is up 38.5%.

In Camden, of the 24 crime categories on which the Met reports, crime is up in all but six. Overall crime is up 8% year on year.  Violent crime is up  24.7%, with youth violence up 9.5%  and  robbery up 18%. Faith hate crime (including anti Semitism and Islamophobia) is up 15.7%.

Few criminals caught  under the Conservatives:

In Barnet, of the 319 ‘theft from person’ offences, just 1% resulted in an arrest- and no-one was charged! Only 2% of burglaries result in a suspect being charged; and of the Met.’s  most important  7 crime  categories, just 5% resulted in a charge.

In Camden , of the 1318 ‘theft from person’ offences, just 2% resulted in an arrest- and only 1% in a  charge! Only 5% of burglaries result in a suspect being charged; and of the Met.’s most important  7 crime  categories, just 7% resulted in a charge.

And if all that wasn’t bad enough, if the Conservatives win the London elections, there is worse to come:

more police station closures as they will only  guarantee  one station per borough:

Barnet would lose High Barnet, leaving Colindale our only police station

Camden would lose  either Kentish Town or Holborn

merged borough commands  so we won’t have our own locally accountable police and our officers would be sent elsewhere:

Barnet will be merged with Harrow and Brent

Camden will be merged with Islington and at least one other borough

More cuts  in supervision: inspector and superintendent ranks  will be culled;

The Met. will pick and choose which offences they prioritise;

deprioritisation of  crimes,  including anti social behaviour.

It doesn’t have to be this way: If Labour win the London elections, we will:

Restore real neighbourhood policing as a top priority, maintaining the role of officers as a visible local presence;

root out extremism;

conduct  an urgent review of armed response capability;

tackle  violence ,especially against women and girls;

invest in new technology to support the police in doing their job efficiently and effectively;

introduce a tough knife strategy, and focus on gangs;

have zero tolerance towards  hate crime, especially homophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia;

have an independent  Victims  Commissioner  to stand up for victims of crime.

The Mayor’s first and most important responsibility  is to keep  London and Londoners safe. The Conservatives have failed and if elected, they will fail again.