Crisis looms for capitals police

10 Jan 02
Ian Blair, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, has warned that the force's 2002/03 financial settlement could throw the capital's policing into 'crisis', despite a likely council tax hike for Londoners.

11 January 2002

Blair voiced his concern at last week's London Assembly budget committee meeting, which discussed Mayor Ken Livingstone's 2002/03 proposals for the Met.

The mayor's office has proposed a 3% increase in funding – around £57.6m – which would bring the service's total budget to £2.04bn. The Met had, however, indicated that its spending requirements would be £2.1bn, which means a shortfall of about £64m – or 10% of non-reducible expenditure.

If the Assembly approves the mayor's proposal, Band D council tax payers in London will pay about £130 a year to the Metropolitan Police Authority, on top of their normal council tax payments.

Blair told the budget committee chair, Sally Hamwee, that the Met could manage the cuts, but that any further reduction or additional non-Treasury funded expenses – which could yet be forced on the police – would be impossible to manage.

Keith Luck, Met director of resources, said the proposals would force the police to cut important 'additional operations', such as helicopter flights and police dog patrols, at a time when the public is demanding a higher police presence across London.

He added that a reduction in the number of civilian posts would also be required. 'In an environment where we have almost no reserves, the suggested cuts do not leave us with room for manoeuvre,' he said.

'We are hoping that the ongoing review does not impose any more costs on the service, yet there are potential increases in the form of additional counter-terrorism measures.

'We have our fingers crossed that the Home Office can convince the Treasury that it must cover the costs of additional security.'

The Met has already overspent on police overtime by £20m in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

A spokesman for the Assembly also revealed there was strong evidence that 'the police are spending money in ways that directly contradict their stated objectives' and that auditors have serious concerns about the adequacy of reserves being put aside for police pensions.

Hamwee suggested that more cuts could be made through the rationalisation of police review procedures. 'There are between 600 and 1,000 Met reviews ongoing. This needs major consideration,' she said.


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