Civilians at Met to get more officers back on streets

BORIS Johnson could slash the number of police under cost-cutting measures across Scotland Yard, the Standard can reveal today.

City Hall sources said the Mayor was investigating whether to replace hundreds of qualified officers with civilian staff to reduce the Met's wages bill.

The plan would see civilian staff brought in to replace trained officers in back-room jobs, such as police station receptions, custody suites and data-input positions. Staff would not be sacked but replaced with civilians when they retire or move.

Critics immediately criticised the move, claiming it would lead to an increase in the fear of crime.

But those involved in the discussions argue the changes would lead to more effective policing with warranted officers spending more time on the streets, tackling and investigating crime.

No changes will be made to police numbers this year but senior officers have been asked to look at how the force could operate more effectively.

Deputy Mayor for Policy Kit Malthouse said: "At the moment it takes four hours for an officer to arrest someone and deal with all the paperwork.

"If I can get that down to 20 minutes then we get them back out on to the streets to do their real job but I may well lose a few coppers along the way.

"There will be no decrease in numbers this year but we have to make the Met as effective as possible and civilianise where we can. If people want to vote for someone else because I've made the Met a more efficient force with fewer people then the lunatics have won."

He said the Mayor also wanted to cut the number of officers on long-term sick leave from 2,500 to 1,000 at any time.

James Cleverly, deputy leader of the Tory group and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "The top-line number of police officers is relatively meaningless. It's a nice easy soundbite for politicians to be able to say they've increased numbers but it should not be used as a political football. We are in a tight financial situation and we're having to make sure we are policing London as effectively as possible and giving senior officers more autonomy.

"There's an awful lot of frustration in the police not being able to get more police out policing because of politics. It's a brave move, but if you're keeping police officers on the books just to say they are there, then you're doing everyone a disservice."

Mr Cleverly said the MPA wanted police to be able to spend more time on the streets rather than pursuing admin work. He estimated there were "many hundreds" of jobs within the Met that could be carried out by civilian staff.

The proposed changes could help find the £76 million savings in the MPA budget ordered by Mr Johnson, which includes relocating the board to City Hall.

It follows the Home Office's introduction of Designated Detention Officers in some custody suites, who carry out roles such as taking DNA samples.

But critics say the move will reduce public confidence in the Met. A senior City Hall source said: "People don't want to hear numbers are falling, they want more police, however you frame it."

The news follows an admission from Mr Johnson that more than half London boroughs failed to meet recruitment targets last month. The Mayor also refused to rule out a drop in frontline policing but said he thought it "highly unlikely".

Answering a question from Lib-Dem Assembly member Dee Doocey, he said of the 32 boroughs policed by the Met, 18 had missed the target for police numbers and 27 missed their targets for Police Community Support Officers.

A report by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Ronnie Flanagan this year said the number of officers in England and Wales would have to be reduced.