The Metropolitan Police is set to scrap its dedicated anti-social behaviour officers (ASB) assigned to London boroughs as part of cost-cutting plans.
Local councils have been told that specialist ASB officers, teams of which serve across local authorities in London, will be withdrawn.
Their responsibilities will instead fall to local neighbourhood “ward” teams.
The move has raised concerns from councils and London Assembly members, who say the change will make only “tiny savings” but risk fuelling anti-social behaviour in the long term.
The Met has repeatedly warned of financial pressures, saying earlier in the year that tough choices are needed as it attempts to bridge a £260m gap in its budget.
Gareth Roberts, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly, told the Express: “Cutting specialist anti-social behaviour officers is a phenomenally short-sighted cost saving move which will undoubtedly cost more money in the long run.
“These specialist officers work closely with councils and other partners to deal with known individual offenders who are responsible for disproportionately high numbers of crimes on our streets.
“Unless he steps in, then axing these officers will send a clear signal that tackling antisocial behaviour in our communities isn’t a priority for the Mayor.”
The Met Police said that it was “committed to continuing its crack down on anti-social behaviour in local communities” and that this was driven by the Home Office’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and the New Met for London priorities.
A spokesperson said that the current officers would join dedicated Neighbourhood Policing teams, and that “these local teams will receive enhanced training to tackle anti-social behaviour, be more visible and proactively fight the crimes that matter most to local communities.”
They added: “Key town centres across London will also see an officer uplift, to drive a reduction in anti-social behaviour and local crime in hotspot areas.”
