On Wednesday (13th February), local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, met with the Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, Ken Marsh, to raise his concerns about police officer morale and demand. Mr Desai has vowed to push ahead with his campaign “for a proper pay rise for our police officers and for the Met to be adequately resourced”.
During the meeting, Unmesh Desai AM, highlighted the results of the latest Police Federation of England and Wales survey, released this week, which found that nine out of ten officers in England and Wales report that there are not enough of them to manage the demands faced by their team.
Mr Desai then discussed his ongoing campaign, as part of his ‘Vision for a Safer London’, for fairer funding for the Metropolitan Police Service and discussed how this work can be taken forward.
Since 2010, the Met Police have been forced to make £850 million of savings due to Government cuts, and face the prospect of having to withhold a further £263 million from their budget by 2022/23.
As a result of these cuts, in June last year, it was revealed that the ratio of police officers to Londoners has dropped to its lowest point in twenty years.
In addition, Mr Desai raised the need for police officers to be given a pay rise which fairly reflects their exceptional efforts to keep Londoners safe, despite the intense strain being put on the Met’s resources.
In July, he proposed a motion, which was unanimously passed by the London Assembly, which called upon the Mayor to lobby the Government to fully fund the cost of the 2018/19 pay rise.
In the wake of the Police Pay Award announcement in July, he also wrote to the Home Secretary, to express his concerns after the Government rejected the recommendations of the Independent Pay Remuneration Review Body and awarded a pay-rise to police officers which amounts to only 0.85% in real terms.
Last week, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Cressida Dick, announced that a one-off payment of £350 will be awarded to the majority of police officers in recognition of the extraordinary pressures they have faced over the last few years.
Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“It was very useful to meet with Ken Marsh to discuss how police officers in the capital are being placed under immense strain due to reckless and sustained cuts imposed by central Government.
“We are in a dire situation where officer numbers have been plummeting, leaving our weakened police force to struggle with ever-increasing demand.
All the evidence suggests that this is having a negative impact on welfare and morale within the Met.
“Whilst it was welcome that the Commissioner announced a very well-deserved £350 recognition payment for our hardworking police officers last week, it is not fair or sustainable that the Met are having to intervene on this without financial support from the Government. This is why I will be campaigning with the Met Federation to ‘care for our cops’.
“Despite continued indifference from the Government, I will continue with my campaign for a proper pay rise for our police officers and for the Met to be adequately resourced”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The results of the Police Federation’s Survey on police demand, welfare and capacity can be found here;
- A copy of Unmesh Desai’s ‘Policing London: A Vision for a Safer City’ can be found here;
- Since 2010, the Met Police have been forced to make £850m of savings due to Government cuts, and face the prospect of having to withhold a further £263 million from their budget by 2022/23;
- As a result of these cuts, in June last year, it was revealed that the ratio of police officers to Londoners has dropped to its lowest point in twenty years;
- The text of Unmesh Desai AM’s London Assembly motion on police officer pay can be found here;
- Analysis from the Metropolitan Police Federation shows that the latest Police Pay Award, represents a 0.85% pay rise in real terms. This is lower than the amount recommended by the independent Police Renumeration Review Body;
- 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 Research Support Officer, Nicholas Wilson, on 020 7983 4401. Number not for publication.