Police officer numbers in London have gone backwards in the past year showing Sadiq Khan is failing in his recruitment drive, according to a new analysis by Lib Dem London Mayoral candidate Rob Blackie.
Analysis of the latest Workforce data reports from the past year shows that the number of Met officers has shrunk from 34,523 in April 2023 to 34,183 in November 2023 – a reduction of 308.
This comes despite the Mayor having been given the funds to increase the number of officers in the force.
In response to the Casey Report, the Mayor also promised an additional 565 officers and staff working on sexual offences, known as Public Protection Officers.
New information, obtained by the London Lib Dems under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), shows that by 14th December 2023 only 156 of these are in place – just 28% of the promised figure.
Lib Dem Mayoral Candidate, Rob Blackie, said, “After seven years of Sadiq Khan, Londoners are feeling let down. The Metropolitan Police is in crisis, with overall officer numbers falling, despite funding for recruitment being available.
“Even in areas as critical as sexual offences, the Mayor is failing to deliver on his promises.
“London needs a Mayor who will get the Met focused on tackling violent crime and sexual assault, after the appalling failure to catch criminals in recent years.
“The mismanagement of the Met Police has been the Mayor’s single biggest failure. Trust in the police has hit record lows and this is clearly having an impact on recruitment and retention. If there aren’t enough police, there’s no hope of them doing a good job.”
