ALL PCSOs in Brent are facing the axe
The borough could lose ALL its PCSOs under plans announced by Brent Police (Pic credit: PA/Rui Vieira) - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
The Met could axe ALL 24 PCSOs in the borough under plans that have been revealed today.
Navin Shah fears the planned cuts are the final nail in the coffin for policing in Brent - Credit: Archant
The new proposals for neighbourhood policing in Brent have been drawn up as part of £800million worth of cuts in London over the next four years.
Under the new measures, all PCSOs across the city could go or neighbourhood policing teams in London would be reduced to a single officer, rank unknown, per ward.
Three years ago each ward team had three PCSOs, two PCs and a sergeant this has since been reduced under previous cuts.
Navin Shah, Labour London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, told the Times if the cuts go ahead it would be the final nail in the coffin for policing in the borough.
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He said: “This is the clearest sign yet that Government cuts are decimating London’s police force.
“Axing all of London’s PCSOs would be the final nail in the coffin for neighbourhood policing and mean far fewer officers on the beat in our communities acting as the eyes and ears of the Met.
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“Boris Johnson has already cut neighbourhood police teams from six officers to only two, axing every PCSO would leave just a single officer left to police vast areas of the capital.”
Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents PCSOs, branded the planned cuts unnecessary.
He added: “PCSOs provide a link between communities and the police that is crucial to developing and maintaining trust.
“We don’t believe this is in the best interests of Londoners and we are calling on the Met to halt the plans and allow for proper negotiations around the alternatives.”
Metropolitan Police Commander Lucy D’Orsi, who leads the neighbourhood policing project, said: “Like local communities we very much value PCSO’s and their role in community engagement, they have been an integral part of the Safer Neighbourhoods model from the start.
“However, the financial pressures we are facing mean that we have a duty to consider all options available in order to meet those challenges and to ensure we deliver a quality policing service to London’s communities.”
Police chiefs are set to review the proposed changes to neighbourhood policing teams at its management board meeting on September 29.
