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Cllr Mike Greene
Chief Supt Heath |
'Secret' plan to cut cops
New Journal uncovers scheme to cut manpower to help other boroughs
THE Metropolitan Police has ruled that Camden has too may
officers and is moving manpower to other boroughs, the New Journal
can reveal.
More than 20 officers have been told they must move to help
out in Islington, Wandsworth, Harrow and Brent.
Some of the officers involved have years of experience on the
streets of Camden.
The drop in numbers is already creating concern among residents
worried about the rise of teenage warfare in Camden Town and
the historic drug market that continues to haunt Camden Lock.
Borough commander Chief Superintendent Mark Heath said yesterday
(Wednesday) that Camden had enjoyed the luxury of having more
officers than London-wide budgets would allow in recent months.
He said that the changes will simply bring the number of officers
down to 822 – the overall figure that number crunchers
at Scotland Yard have worked out is needed to keep Camden safe.
Chief Supt Heath said: “I am never going to say that I
don’t want more officers. You always want more. I’d
love thousands of officers out there. But, realistically, we
all have to work within a budget and I have been directed to
move officers to boroughs which are under-strength.
“We have had more officers than the Met target in recent
months. People don’t want to leave Camden. It is good geographically
for travel and there is a real mix of policing opportunities.”
The shift in staffing, which will affect 21 officers, comes
on the heels of new initiatives to boot cannabis peddlers out
of Camden Town.
Labour council leader Councillor Raj Chada is under pressure
to fulfil his bold promise that the dealers will be gone within
two years. Chief Supt Heath said that the clampdown would not
be undermined and added that resources would also not be stripped
from Safer Neighbourhood teams – squads of officers permanently
stationed in specific council wards.
But Conservative councillor Mike Greene said: “This is
very disappointing and the way it has been done has been very
secretive. I was flabbergasted when I heard about it. People
will be concerned. There is an obvious need for more police
resources around Camden Town and other parts of the borough.
“People want more officers, not less. Some of these officers
have years of experience in Camden but are still being moved.”
Labour’s community safety chief Councillor Jake Sumner
said that his party had campaigned at every available opportunity
for more officers in Camden and questioned why neighbouring
Westminster was assigned a far greater number of patrols.
He said: “It is disappointing but there has been an increase
in the number of officers in Camden in the last four years.
“We campaigned for that and we are still raising the issue
with the Met. The good news is that crime has gone down in the
last four years – by 14 per cent. There have also been
significant reductions in things like robberies and vehicle
crime.
“Sometimes when you do a job well, you get penalised.” |
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