A POLICE recruitment freeze has been lifted in London amid claims officer numbers will be “beefed up” next year.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson revealed his budget yesterday, promising a £42m investment in the Met and more officers on the beat.
He also lifted the ban on recruiting new officers, meaning 200 PCSOs stopped from becoming PCs when the freeze was introduced can complete their training.
But Labour is accusing the Mayor of cutting overall police numbers, and say there are fewer police officers now than when he took over in 2008.
Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London and 2012 Labour candidate, said: “After four years under Boris Johnson, the reality is there will be fewer police in London than there were under the budgets I delivered which led to year on year increases in the number of police officers in London.”
Mr Johnson says he is putting 413 extra officers on public transport, 70 more police officers in schools, and a new team of 120 officers working with local councils to target crime hotspots.
However, the boost in PCs will come at the expense of the number of PCSOs on the beat.
Met figures show the number of officers is currently at 32,481 and will rise to 32,510 in 2011/12, but estimates suggest numbers will fall to 31,913 in April 2013 and 31,800 in April 2014.
The budget also confirmed the axing of 100 Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant posts in the next year, with the possibility of 200 more being taken away in the year after.
A widescale review of the local police teams is currently underway, and Mr Johnson promised to “protect Safer Neighbourhood Teams by looking at how they are managed”.
Some teams may be merged under one Sergeant, or teams may be asked to cover a wider area, but the mayor guaranteed “no reduction in uniforms on the streets”.
However, Joanne McCartney, Labour London Assembly spokesman on policing, said the cut in SNT Sergeants was “disappointing” and accused him of prejudging the review which is due to deliver its verdict in May.
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