In response to the Government’s announcement that it will aim to recruit 1,369 police officers in London as part of the first wave of its pledge to introduce 20,000 new police officers across the UK, Labour’s London Assembly Policing and Crime Spokesperson, Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“Any additional officers coming our way are welcome, but of course this is only is a fraction of the 6,000 officers that the Met needs, and which the Commissioner has asked for.
“Londoners need assurances that the current shortfall in the capital, caused by almost a decade of cuts, will be urgently made up in future rounds. City Hall has already been working to plug the gaps left by Government austerity by investing in an extra 1,000 police officers to be trained up and in place by January 2020.
“We now need some clarity from the Government about how they will support and resource the Met Police to put these new officers in post, because we know it takes an average of around nine months to recruit a police officer.
“We also need some insight into the Government’s plans for policing beyond next year and how the remainder of the 20,000 officers will be delivered”.
ENDS
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)
For more information please contact Labour Group Press Officer, Tim Picton, on 0207 983 5639 or 07795 616832. Number not for publication.