Council calls for 100 extra police officers on the streets

Police outside Hackney Service Centre. Photograph: Gemma Drake

Hackney Council is calling on the Metropolitan Police to put 100 extra police officers on the borough’s streets.

The number of officers in the borough has been reduced by 173 over five years while Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have been cut from 100 to 37.

In a report presented to cabinet yesterday, the council criticised the cuts as “excessive, disproportionate and counter-productive”.

The crime rate in Hackney has seen a long-term downward trend, falling by 34.7 per cent since 2002.

But the report by Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden claims recent figures show an increase in violence and vandalism, and that the steady reduction in robbery has plateaued.

The first quarter of this year, in comparison with the same time last year, shows a continued rise in violent offences and criminal damage, and increases in robbery and theft.

The report said: “The reduction in police officers in Hackney, and the demonstrable impact it is having on crime and the fear of crime, is very concerning.

“It needs to be addressed now, before years of effective joined-up work between the council and local police is put at further risk.”

The report contains letters sent from the Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe to Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and other senior policing figures, repeatedly requesting a heavier police presence on Hackney’s streets.

In the letters Mayor Pipe argues that in comparison with other boroughs Hackney has been worst affected by police cuts, with a 22 per cent reduction in officers compared to 16.7 per cent in Tower Hamlets and 14.6 in Haringey.

Responding to the report, Hackney police said all boroughs have seen a reduction in police numbers as “some roles have been centralised” and delivered back in a “more efficient and effective way”.

A police spokesperson said: “Hackney has and continues to benefit from additional central resources such as Taskforce and Trident officers who are actively patrolling the borough to tackle and suppress gang violence.

“We acknowledge that the Met will need to look different in the future, including within local policing, as we respond to changing demands and future budget reductions in the region of £800 million.

“The Metropolitan Police Service is considering a range of options to deliver these savings and will continue to flex resources to respond to threat, harm and risk situations.”

Hackney MP Meg Hillier is Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, which has recently published a critical report stating that the Home Office and local forces had failed to understand the impact of policing cuts.

She said: “Too often cuts to services lead to ‘cost shunting’ with the police acting as the default support provider. There’s little understanding in the Home Office and in many forces of local demands.”

In the cabinet meeting the council passed a motion agreeing to raise awareness about the impact of police cuts and calling on the Met to provide 100 more officers.