But Murad Qureshi warns that policing's future "remains at grave risk"
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London-wide Labour London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi has welcomed the Met’s decision to push back a decision on the fate of all London’s Police Community Support Officers, or PCSOs.
He says fierce opposition forced the Met to abandon plans to take a decision on their future at a Management Board meeting on Tuesday September28 and says he understands the decision has now been pushed back until December.
The delay from the Met comes only a week after the Commissioner warned that the scale of police funding cuts were “worrying” for the capital saying: "We’ve got options on how to make savings but with that scale of savings none of them are attractive."
Mr Qureshi says: " I welcome that the Met is taking the time to listen to the vast public opposition to the proposed cuts to all PCSOs in London. As the Commissioner has warned, there is no doubt the spending cuts being made by Government could have a terrible impact on London’s police force.
"Despite this stay of execution for PCSOs it's clear the future of local policing in the capital remains at grave risk.
"We cannot be complacent and will be spending the next two months making the case for neighbourhood policing in the capital.
"There is no doubt that Government cuts are putting great strain on the police force, it’s time the Home Secretary understood that the decimation of neighbourhood policing is not a price the London public are willing to pay."
The two options which were due to be considered by the Metropolitan Police Management Board were:
Retain 629 dedicated ward PCSO posts.
Remove all Neighbourhood PCSO posts.
According to the PCS Union there are currently 1,017 safer neighbourhood PCSOs in the capital.
You can see a webcast of Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe discussing the options here.
You can read the Police and Crime Plan, detailing plans for reducing costs here.
October 14, 2015
