The dedicated police unit covering Greenwich Park is to be disbanded under a round of cuts at Scotland Yard – with the charity that runs Royal Parks still waiting for details about how it will be policed..
The Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks Operational Command Unit will be closed and its responsibilities transferred to neighbourhood officers instead, bringing an end to 150 years of a dedicated team policing the parks.
London mayor Sadiq Khan blamed the cuts on past “chronic underfunding” of the Met under the previous Conservative government, and said the reductions had been made to protect neighbourhood policing.
Royal Parks, the charity that runs Greenwich Park, said it was “extremely disappointed” by the news. It added that it had not yet been given full details of what would happen with policing in its parks. By law, Met officers are the only people who can enforce the regulations in Greenwich Park.
Most of the Met’s funding comes from Westminster rather than City Hall, and the force is facing a reported £260 million budget shortfall. The BBC reported that it would lose 1,700 staff and officers in total.
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 that six officers are based in Greenwich Park, down from the 12 inherited when the old Royal Parks Constabulary was merged with the Met in 2004.
In January, the Friends of Greenwich Park had asked locals to contact the Met commissioner Mark Rowley, Greenwich & Woolwich MP Matt Pennycook and Greenwich Council leader Anthony Okereke about the cuts. It said that it was “deeply concerned” about the proposals.
Dr Tina Challacombe, the chair of the Friends group, told The Greenwich Wire: “We are very sad and disappointed to lose the parks police but it was not unexpected. We are concerned for the future safety and security of visitors to the park and also the enforcement of traffic regulations.
Khan said: “Tough decisions have been made to protect neighbourhood policing and I’m under no illusions about the challenges ahead.”
The Met has not responded to a request for clarification on how Greenwich Park will be policed in future.
Royal Parks told The Greenwich Wire this afternoon: “We are extremely disappointed to see reports in today’s press that the dedicated police force for the Royal Parks is being disbanded.
“The Royal Parks Operational Command Unit and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London for over 150 years. We are deeply grateful to our police colleagues who have been so committed in their work to protect our amazing green spaces and ensure the safety, security and welfare of the millions of visitors to the parks.
“We are awaiting full details of this decision, including timelines, from the Met Police. The safety and wellbeing of everyone who uses the Royal Parks is our top priority, and we want to reassure the public that we are working closely with the police to put a plan in place which will maintain public safety once this cut comes into force.
“Only the Metropolitan Police Service can enforce the park regulations.”
As well as Greenwich, Royal Parks officers also cover Bushy Park, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, St James Park, Royal Park, Kensington Gardens and Regent’s Park.
There have been dedicated officers in the Royal Parks since the 1870s. They were originally known as “keepers of the Royal Parks” before becoming a fully-fledged police force in 1974, when its officers were finally allowed to be known as constables.
The leader of Liberal Democrat-run Richmond Council, which overs Richmond and Bushy Parks, told the London Standard that scrapping the unit was “a very bad decision”. The Greenwich Wire contacted Greenwich Council for comment.
Updated at 1.30pm to include Royal Parks’ response and 2.05pm to update the headline, and again at 11.40pm to include comment from the Friends of Greenwich Park.
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