Mayor Boris Johnson to cut 455 Police

[James Barber]

For many months GLA Lib Dems have been highlighting that London police officer numbers are set to fall. Just before Christmas Mayor Boris Johnson was directly challenged about his proposed cut in Police numbers as per his draft budget for 2010-2011. These advanced warnings are now being picked up on and this week were reported in the Guardian newspaper.

Lib Dems proposed a reversal to this cut and to also allow extra police officers for boroughs with the higher gun and knife crime while reducing the overall budget. The Lib Dem proposals can be seen in the group?s budget amendment.

How will this affect Southwark and East Dulwich?

455/32 London Boroughs would result in something like one less police officer for East Dulwich. It doesn't sound much but we only have one Police sargent and two police officers supported by five Police Community Support Officers covering East Dulwich at present.

[MitchK]

What would you be cutting instead of police numbers, James, in order to pay for the extra police whilst keeping the budget down?

[Nero]

They could try patrolling in ones instead of twos and threes - be they police officers or the supporting officers. Even if they did during daylight hours, it would mean a good deal more 'policing hours'. Likewise for Southwark Wardens who don't know the meaning of the phrase 'three's a crowd'.

[tomchance]

It's worth noting that the cut is due to a reorganisation of custody suites, using staff instead of police officers to run them. So James, your calculation is just misleading. The number of police officers (if we're to take that as a measure of success) is considerably higher than it was in 2000, and crime has more or less continuously fallen across London since the mid 1990s.

The main two things to have come out of the GLA budget process this year relating to the police that should worry people round this way are:

- No guarantees (unlike under Ken) for the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, who we think should be safeguarded against the 6% cuts that the Southwark Borough Commander will have to make. I think our local teams are great, it would be terrible to see them lose any resources.

- Cuts and reorganisation of the road safety units, which local councillor Jenny Jones fought for 8 years to get up to its current standard in London. Given the recent tragic death of the young girl on the corner of East Dulwich Road and Peckham Rye, I think this is something that everyone can agree is vitally important.

[mazza7103]

It should be noted that not only are we losing 455 officers there has also been a freeze of any new officers coming in for at least 2 years. Another budget cut is only going to make things worse as the freeze was brought in before this announcement.

Safer Neighbourhoods have a good relationship with the local area that officers responding to emergencies are unable to give. I have seen on this forum that East Dulwich safer neighbourhoods have worked well with you all. This personal attention is in danger with these cuts.

Also, officers are already being sent out on their own. Everyone has an opinion on the safety of that and this is not the forum for which i wish to express my opinion on that.

[Roll Deep]

Reminds me of another case of police walking off into the

.