"This police increase is only a first step"

11.12.01

Local MP welcomes extra police, but warns for the future

Kingston and Surbiton's Liberal Democrat MP, Edward Davey, today welcomed the confirmation yesterday by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) of an increase in police for Kingston. However, Edward Davey expressed deep concerns about the future, given the proposed reform to the formula that shares out Met police officers across London. He has today published a letter he sent last week to the MPA, outlining the key criticisms of the MPA's longer term decisions.

The MPA has been reviewing the "Resource Allocation Formula" that divides up the total number of officers in London between Boroughs for over nine months. Edward Davey has been lobbying furiously behind the scenes, working with the local police and the local council, to push Kingston's case. At a series of public and private meetings, Edward Davey, has argued that Kingston has far too few officers, and urgently needs an increase.

Following a meeting of the MPA yesterday (Monday, 10th December), Kingston's final allocation for next year was announced at 264, compared to 250 officers in March 2001, the start of this current financial year. However, the MPA also agreed the new underlying formula for deciding police numbers in London Boroughs, known as the Resource Allocation Formula, and this is set at 229 officers for Kingston, meaning that the Borough may have to wait sometime before it benefits from a further increase in officers.

Commenting on the outcome, Edward Davey said:

"The news of extra police officers for Kingston is good. Naturally I've been arguing for even more, but given some of the earlier predictions, it could have been a lot worse.

"I want to pay a special tribute to work done by the Borough Commander, Jeff Brathwaite, and by the Kingston Police and Community Consultative Group. We have been in regular contact over the last few months, and I know that without them, we would never have achieved even this increase of 14 officers.

"However, I remain concerned that this increase will be a "one-off", and we will not see more officers in future years, despite the remaining unmet needs. The new formula still does not take full account of the needs of the smaller Boroughs, like Kingston, and I have told the Metropolitan Police Authority that we will continue to push for further change.

"If they think we've stopped fighting for more police for Kingston, they'd better think again."