A dedicated police unit that patrols Greenwich Park could be disbanded as Scotland Yard tries to close a £450 million funding gap.
Closing the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit, which is based in Hyde Park, was put forward in budget proposals by the Metropolitan Police to City Hall last year.
Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, wrote in a report to the London Policing Board last month that “cutting the specific teams that currently police the Royal Parks” was on the agenda as the force faced a “difficult financial position”.
The unit, which has 77 officers and 17 special constables, patrols Greenwich Park as well the capital’s other Royal Parks, including Bushy Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Richmond Park and St James’s Park. It is thought six officers are based in Greenwich Park.
The Royal Parks Constabulary was a separate force with its own distinctive uniform, but it was abolished in 2004 and its functions in London taken over by the Met. At that time there were 12 officers in Greenwich Park, there are now thought to be six.
The Friends of Greenwich Park has emailed its members to ask them to write to Rowley, Greenwich & Woolwich MP Matt Pennycook and Greenwich Council leader Anthony Okereke about the cuts.
The Friends group said it was “deeply concerned by these latest proposals which, if implemented, would see a loss of police coverage in Greenwich Park – with adverse implications for visitor safety and security, and for the enforcement of traffic regulations”.
A Met spokesperson told The Greenwich Wire: “We have been clear on the financial challenges we face and continue to have productive discussions with the Mayor and Home Office to ensure we have the resources to police London effectively.”
“As expected we are carefully planning for any tough choices we may have to make to ensure we live within the means of our future budget, but no final decisions have been made.”
Across London, Richmond Council has spoken out against the cuts, although London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said on Tuesday that not all the reductions outlined by Rowley would be needed.
He told Gareth Roberts, a Liberal Democrat London Assembly member in a written answer to a question: “Not all of the spend reduction proposals within the budget submission will require implementation. The Met will be further assessing the operational and workforce implications of the various budget savings options, including Royal Parks policing, to consider if the option should be implemented in full, deferred, or implemented in part.”
To contact your local councillors, London Assembly members or MP about the proposal, visit writetothem.com.
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