The police are facing drastic cuts at this critical time when there is increase in crimes of all types. These consistent cuts of last 7 years are having a devastating effect on the police force. Because of that we hardly sees any bobbies on the beat and are experiencing late response time by the police. Without adequate funding police cannot do their job. It seems the government has got its priorities wrong.
Stephen Greenhalgh the deputy mayor said the cuts would make it difficult to maintain frontline officer numbers. He said the annual cuts to the grant from the Home Office would make things very hard to manage by 2020. The force has said it expected to have to make cuts of £800m to its £3.5bn budget over the next four years. This is coming after cuts of £600m made over the last four years. Deputy police commissioner Craig Mackey told the London Assembly's budget and performance committee the police were "struggling with this" and that morale in the force was not good.
Varying between forces, since 2010 staff posts have reduced by 15,500 (19.5%); By 2020 police staffing levels could reduce to approximately 100,000 – the lowest level since the mid-1970s, and a further reduction of 17% since CSR10; The funding shortfall could be approximately £400 million in the first year and increasing up to as high as £1.2 billion by 2020; With fewer people to call on the successful civilianisation of some posts may be scaled back or reversed. Some forces have already identified that officers would have to perform back office functions; and While further savings in running costs, procurement and ICT can be delivered over the next five years a fundamental reconfiguration of roles will be needed.
As far as Harrow is concerned the merger of Borough Commanders of Harrow, Barnet and Brent is not the right move. It is a retrograde step for Harrow; its residents are not happy with this decision of the Metropolitan Police. In view of having more savings it is time now to have a fundamental rethink on how the police is organised, the service they offer the public, and the roles and skills needed.
Baldev Sharma
Rayners Lane, Harrow
