Dear Editor,
Last week, the latest funding announcement from the Home Office left the Met Police significantly short-changed once again.
Over the last few years, the Mayor of London has invested hundreds of millions into the Met to try and plug the gaps left by a decade of Government austerity- the total of which is almost £1 billion.
Efforts taken by City Hall have meant police officer numbers have started to recover, with 31,000 now in place across our capital. Policing operations have also been bolstered by the establishment of a dedicated Violent Crime Taskforce which has been successful in taking some of the most dangerous criminals off our streets.
Alongside implementing tough enforcement measures, such as the GPS tagging of offenders, City Hall is also focussing on tackling the myriad causes of violent crime, with the Mayor launching the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in 2018, as a public health approach model.
Since this time, the VRU has facilitated the investment of millions of pounds into the work of community groups, schools and the health sector to clamp down on youth and domestic violence.
Yours,
Unmesh Desai AM
London Assembly Member for City and East
Notes to editors
- Unmesh Desai AM is the London Assembly Member for City and East (covering Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London).