News from Joanne McCartney: Stay of execution for PCSOs after opposition forces Met to push back

Labour London Assembly Member Joanne McCartney has welcomed the Met’s decision to push back a decision on the fate of all London’s PCSOs after fierce opposition forced the Met to abandon plans to take a decision on their future this week. Despite a discussion being scheduled for the Met’s Management Board meeting on Tuesday 29^th September Ms McCartney understands the Met has pushed back the decision until December after significant political and public opposition to the plans.

Despite welcoming the delay, Ms McCartney warned that the future of local policing in the capital remained at “grave risk.” The delay from the Met comes only a week after the Commissioner warned that the scale of police funding cuts were “worrying” for the capital saying that “we’ve got options on how to make savings but with that scale of savings none of them are attractive.”

Labour London Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey, Joanne McCartney said:

“I welcome that the Met is taking the time to listen to the vast public opposition to the proposed cuts to all PCSOs in London. As the Commissioner has warned, there is no doubt the spending cuts being made by Government could have a terrible impact on London’s police force.

“Despite this stay of execution for PCSOs its clear the future of local policing in the capital remains at grave risk. We cannot be complacent and will be spending the next two months making the case for neighbourhood policing in the capital. There is no doubt that Government cuts are putting great strain on the police force, it’s time the Home Secretary understood that the decimation of neighbourhood policing is not a price the London public are willing to pay.”

ENDS