02 September 2005
As policing costs in the capital have soared, community projects may be sacrificed to plug the gap
Over the past few weeks, police officers have become as ubiquitous in London as red telephone boxes and black taxicabs. Sirens blare much more frequently and even at the most insignificant suburban stations you'll find a police officer standing guard, if not a couple on horseback.
The bombs that killed 52 commuters on July 7, the failed bombing attempt two weeks later and the high-profile hunt for the perpetrators developed into the UK's biggest police operation, stretching the Metropolitan Police's resources.
Up to 1,000 detectives have been working on the inquiry and the Met has also borrowed heavily from other forces, both in staff and material.
A total of 8,500 documents and 35,000 CCTV tapes have been examined and the anti-terrorist hotline has handled more than 5,000 calls. A casualty bureau, which operated from July 7 to 26, managed in excess of 121,000 calls.
Police officers have been lauded for their professionalism, resilience and determination. But the overtime they've put in will come at a cost.
The Metropolitan Police Authority, which sets and scrutinises the Met's budget, estimates that the extra policing effort is costing £500,000 a day, with the force clocking up an additional £57.5m bill by the end of August.
Coupled with the payments that will have to be made to other forces that have helped out, the MPA faces perhaps its toughest financial challenge in its five-year history.
Some emergency help is available. 'The MPA can apply to the Home Office for a special grant towards the extra costs it has necessarily incurred,' according to a Home Office spokeswoman. 'We will examine those costs, taking advice from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary on how reasonable they are in operational terms, and ministers will take a view on how much to give.'
A request for extra money has already been put to Whitehall and early signs are encouraging. MPA chair Len Duvall declared himself confident that the government will find the extra cash, a view backed up by treasurer Ken Hunt.
He told Public Finance: 'We've had some discussions with the Home Office, who have been very supportive… They want to see what the figures are and we are going to work on that.'
There are also long-term financial implications. Met commissioner Sir Ian Blair has said he wants to expand the force's permanent anti-terrorist capability with another 500 specialist staff, while there are plans to swell the central firearms unit by several hundred officers.
The force already receives £61m from central government for counter-terrorism activities, but senior commanders are reportedly bidding for another £150m a year to support this work.
Hunt says that as the MPA begins its budget-setting process this autumn, the need to boost the Met's anti-terrorism capacity will be a priority. But he adds that it is important to avoid all the extra cost burden falling on London taxpayers.
The authority derives about 20% of its £2.7bn budget from the precept levied by the mayor. This is money that has normally been set aside for police issues that Londoners have identified as important, chiefly community policing.
The Safer Neighbourhood project, whereby small teams of six officers focus on an area, grew out of this approach, and the MPA is anxious that it does not become another casualty of the bombings.
'The precept has provided up to 80% of the costs of the Safer Neighbourhood schemes, which all our communities have told us is what they want, and has led to a drop in crime and the fear of crime,' Duvall says,
'We want to see that investment continue and not used to plug financial gaps brought about by the atrocities of 7/7.'
Hunt won't be drawn on the effects at a local level. 'It's too early to say if the precept will go up,' he told PF. 'A lot of discussion is needed and we still have quite a way to go.'
As policing requirements in London enter a new phase, the MPA can expect to find this journey scrutinised closely.
PFsep2005
