Budget statement by chair of the MPA, Toby Harris

08/01
24 January 2001

At today's meeting of the London Assembly of the Greater London Authority, the Mayor reaffirmed his support for greater investment in policing in the capital.

The MPA fully supports the Mayor's call for extra police. Under the Mayor's plans, money would be made available to recruit an additional 1,050 police officers and to offer civilian staff a better pay deal. A further 200 police officers who are currently filling vacant civilian posts would be released for wider operational police duties as more civilians are recruited on the back of significant pay increases for them.

The Mayor agreed that it may be possible to agree some further cashable efficiency savings that would reduce the rise in the precept below 31 per cent currently proposed.

I support that intention as long as any such target is realistic, is achievable and does not have the effect of lowering police morale even further.

Police officers are facing intolerable pressures as it is, without hampering their best efforts by forcing punitive cutbacks on them at a time when we are looking to increase the numbers of police officers on our streets, not reduce them.

We would not support any measure which would result in cutting police numbers, but cashable efficiency savings might be raised from 0.5 per cent to one per cent, or £9m to £18m in the next financial year. This is in addition to the non-cashable efficiency savings already identified that improve the effectiveness of the way in which we use our resources.

In a recent MORI poll, Londoners put crime as their number one concern. The proposed rise in the precept would mean an average rise per person of 10 pence a day. I believe that Londoners are prepared to pay that to meet their priority, the Met's priority and the MPA's priority of ensuring crime and the fear of crime is reduced in London.

All extra officers would be used to police the London boroughs. However, effective policing is not just about officer numbers but also freeing up officers for more operational work. For example, by making full use of resources such as IT and radio support and by investing more fully in techniques that aid investigation, such as DNA, efficiencies can be identified and applied to further enhance borough policing.

Following the Home Office's announcement in November 2000 for this year's police funding for London, the MPA called for urgent investment in the recruitment of at least 1000 police officers. Indeed, to meet the additional 1,050 target set out by the Mayor again today, we would need to recruit nearer 2,000 to take account of the number of officers leaving through retirement and resignation.

Our aim is to build a police service that is staffed and equipped to tackle and reduce crime, increase public confidence and make London's streets safe for all our communities.

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