MPA calls for urgent investment in extra police

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30 November 2000

Investment in a further 1,000 borough police officers is being given top priority by the Metropolitan Police Authority, following the Home Office announcement on next year’s police funding for London.

Speaking this evening, Chair of the MPA Toby Harris said:

‘As a matter of urgency, we must invest in the recruitment of at least 1,000 police officers over the current year’s budget.

‘These officers must be for the boroughs, where they will be a real and visible presence on the streets, which is what the people of London have been demanding for so long.

‘We do not want them disappearing into specialist operations or headquarters units. These are officers who will be available to deal directly with their local communities, helping to fight and prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime.

‘We need to move quickly to recruit these extra men and women to cope with the current chronic shortage of patrol officers.

‘We also need to stop the practice of using officers to fill the 800 civilian staff vacancies that exist in the Met at the present time. To reverse this trend, we will need to fund a substantial pay package for civil staff.

‘Although the Government has put significant extra resources into policing for next year, addressing these problems in London will mean that the Mayor will have to take some difficult decisions in setting next year’s council tax precept.

‘No one likes the thought of paying more taxes but if we are to deliver the standard of policing that the people of London are rightly demanding, this will inevitably carry a price tag.’

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