credit;PA
More than 9,300 police staff jobs have been lost from the Metropolitan police force since 2010, figures from GMB, the union for police staff, reveal.
The figures include an eye-watering cut of 3,396 or 72 percent of Police Community Support Officer roles (PCSOs).
The worst of the cuts were inflicted in the Metropolitan Police during Boris Johnson’s term as Mayor of London.
The term police staff covers a wide range of roles including custody officers, 999 call handlers, PCSOs, scene of crime investigators, and technical and administrative support jobs.
These job losses are on top of cuts to police officer numbers.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said: “These cuts are an absolute disgrace – not content with taking more than 20,000 police officers off our streets, under the Conservatives more than 9,300 staff roles have been slashed in the Met too.
“GMB members undertake essential jobs – police forces could not function without out them but cuts are forcing the service to breaking point.
“The Tories talk tough on crime but in reality they’ve spent the last decade denying police forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.
“They have put lives at risk every day.
“Only Labour can be trusted to put police back on our streets and provide the staff needed to maintain law and order.”
The Conservatives have promised to recruit 20,000 police officers over the next three years to replace those lost due to budget cuts since 2010.
Labour has committed to recruiting 22,000 more police officers – 2,000 more than Boris Johnson.
