From the
London Evening Standard:
Hundreds of extra police officers will be patrolling London's transport system, streets and schools by this time next year, Boris Johnson said today.
The Mayor lifted a nine-month recruitment freeze and pledged a 537-strong boost to front-line policing by the time of the next mayoral election in May 2012. The extra officers will be paid for in part by axing 526 police community support officers - so-called "plastic bobbies" - many of whom will be trained as constables.
But a row was growing today as critics suggested total police numbers were in fact falling. They accused Mr Johnson of using a "smoke and mirrors" approach so he could claim to be increasing front-line police ahead of the next election - while planning reductions after it. The Mayor refused to give firm guarantees on future figures.
As well as cuts in PCSOs, the Met has also saved money on buildings, vehicles and equipment and the Mayor has boosted its budget with new cash amounting to ^42 million. City Hall insiders said it meant 1,000 more officers would be on the beat - giving a total of 32,510 - by the end of Mr Johnson's first term than when he took over.
But the extra money comes as the Met faces cuts of ^185 million to its ^2.8 billion budget this year, putting pressure on its fight against crime.
Critics claimed the Mayor was creating confusion with the figures and leapt on his decision to cut 100 sergeants from safer neighbourhood teams. Some local teams will have to share a sergeant with neighbouring wards. There is also concern over senior officers' warnings that while front-line policing is protected until 2012 there will inevitably be a drop after the Olympics.
Caroline Pidgeon, Lib-Dem leader in London, said: "The Mayor claims he is increasing police numbers. The harsh fact is the Met has already seen a reduction in officers under him."
And a spokesman for former mayor Ken Livingstone said: "Boris Johnson's way of funding the police and keeping Londoners safe is increasingly characterised by a smoke and mirrors approach, trying to obscure real cuts to police funding while desperately claiming he is doing the opposite.
"The reality is, after four years under him there'll be fewer London police."
Today's deal, announced at a City Hall budget hearing, means the force is the first in Britain to decide how it allocates funding on officers and PCSOs.
Mr Johnson said: "This ^42 million investment will make the capital the envy of every police force in Britain and not cost Londoners a penny more.
"Sadly, forces across the UK▸ are battling budgets and suffering the inevitable cuts, but here we will buck the trend and have more uniformed fully warranted police officers than ever before."
The Met's policing plan, published last month, revealed a cut of 580 front-line officers this year. However, the Mayor's team claimed this was made up of trainees and officers redeployed to other jobs under Project Herald.
In today's announcement, Mr Johnson said there would be 413 extra police patrolling the capital's transport system - but with 300 fewer PCSOs.
Schools would get 70 more officers to help keep unruly pupils under control, taking the total up to 253. But they lose 102 PCSOs, meaning a smaller uniformed presence overall.
Dozens of other PCSOs would go from government security zones and the Met is also scrapping about 200 traffic wardens on red routes. It will offer boroughs an extra 54 officers in a "two-for-one" deal. The extra officers will initially be fast-tracked from PCSO and special constable ranks.
Mr Johnson's deputy for policing, Kit Malthouse, also plans to spend ^35 million extra on investigating rapes, child sex offences and gangs.
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