The Metropolitan Police is facing a significant reduction of 1,700 officers, PCSOs, and staff in a bid to plug a £260m gap in its budget for the upcoming year, the force has confirmed. This cut will also impact several key services, including the scrapping of the Royal Parks police team and the removal of officers stationed in schools.
Last year, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned of “eye-watering” cuts, which could have led to a loss of up to 2,300 officers, as the force faced a £450m budget shortfall. However, with additional funding from the central government and the mayor’s office, the situation has improved, but the Met still faces “substantial tough choices”.
The force plans to avoid redundancies by reducing recruitment and not replacing officers who leave. Despite the cuts, it promises to prioritise frontline services, such as neighbourhood policing, tackling violence against women and girls, and ongoing efforts to reform the force. Some of the planned savings include:
- Disbanding the Royal Parks Police
- Removing officers from schools
- A 10% cut to forensic services
- An 11% cut to historic crime teams
- A 25% cut to mounted police
- A 7% cut to dog teams
- Reduced front counter opening hours
- Possibly removing firearms from the Flying Squad
While most of these cuts are likely to go ahead, the Met has been allocated an additional £32m, which could allow for some reductions to be scaled back.
The Met acknowledged the strain the cuts will place on its officers, stating that it would continue working with the Home Office, mayor, and MOPAC (the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) to secure a more stable financial future.
Matt Cane, general secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, criticised the cuts, warning that reducing the number of officers would severely affect the force’s ability to protect the public. He emphasised that the cuts would lead to a diminished service for London residents.
The cuts come despite a record £1.16bn funding allocation from City Hall, which the Met says helped protect over 900 neighbourhood policing jobs. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has placed the blame for the crisis on the previous Conservative government, but acknowledged the new Labour government’s “record” investment, while calling for more support from the government in the upcoming spending review.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp countered, stating that the Conservative government had increased police numbers across England and Wales, including London, and that Labour’s inadequate financial settlement had led to the current situation.
Meanwhile, the leader of Richmond Council, Gareth Roberts, voiced his concern over the decision to disband the Royal Parks Police, calling it a “huge mistake” that would burden already overstretched local resources and leave parks vulnerable.
There are also concerns about the impact of these cuts on violence reduction efforts. Claire van Helfteren, former chair of the Met’s Independent Advisory Group for Kensington & Chelsea, expressed frustration that millions of pounds had been spent on policing events like football matches, Notting Hill Carnival, and protests, while neighbourhood policing and frontline services suffered.
Van Helfteren also highlighted the significant impact the removal of officers from schools would have on youth violence reduction, stressing the importance of these officers in preventing potential issues. She suggested that football clubs and event organisers could contribute to policing costs to ease the burden on the police force.
