News from Dr Onkar Sahota: Stay of execution for PCSOs

Labour London Assembly Member Dr Onkar Sahota has welcomed the Met’s decision to push back a decision on the fate of all London’s PCSOs after fierce opposition forced the Met to abandon plans to take a decision on their future this week. Despite a discussion being scheduled for the Met’s Management Board meeting on Tuesday 29^th September Dr Sahota understands the Met has pushed back the decision until December after significant political and public opposition to the plans.

Despite welcoming the delay, Dr Sahota warned that the future of local policing in the capital remained at “grave risk.” The delay from the Met comes only a week after the Commissioner warned that the scale of police funding cuts were “worrying” for the capital saying that “we’ve got options on how to make savings but with that scale of savings none of them are attractive.”

Dr Onkar Sahota, Labour Assembly Member for Ealing & Hillingdon said:

“I welcome that the Met is taking the time to listen to the vast public opposition to the proposed cuts to all PCSOs in London. As the Commissioner has warned, there is no doubt the spending cuts being made by Government could have a terrible impact on London’s police force.

“Despite this stay of execution for PCSOs it’s clear the future of local policing in the capital remains at grave risk. We cannot be complacent and will be spending the next two months making the case for neighbourhood policing in the capital. There is no doubt that Government cuts are putting great strain on the police force, it’s time the Home Secretary understood that the decimation of neighbourhood policing is not a price the London public are willing to pay.”