PoliticsRichmond Council

Richmond Council criticizes mayoral cuts to crime prevention funding

Richmond Council believe mayoral cuts to local funding for crime prevention puts programmes at risk that aim to keep residents’ safe.

The Mayor has announced that from next year his funding for crime prevention programmes in Richmond will be more than halved. The 55 per cent cut, reduces the funding allocation from £169,000 to £76,000. This will apply to local projects from 2018 onwards.

The announcement coincides with his proposal to cut the number of borough police commanders, which critics argue will make senior local police officers much more remote from the communities they serve and make it harder for them to stay on top of local issues.

Currently Richmond, along with all of London’s 32 boroughs, has a Chief Superintendent who is in charge of all local policing matters. Under the Mayor’s proposed arrangements, a single commander would be shared between Richmond, Merton, Kingston and Wandsworth. These boroughs are geographically dispersed and have different policing priorities.

Cllr Stephen Speak, Richmond Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:

“As one of London’s safest boroughs, Richmond already receives one of the lowest amounts of Mayoral funding for community safety. This cut is slashing our already meagre allowance.

“Losing 55% of our funding means that we will have to stop some vital services that are in place to help keep our resident’s safe. But, these also happen to be services that the Mayor of London himself has said should be priority areas.

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