FACT CHECKER | WITH JAMES WATERSON
“BORIS Johnson has admitted cutting 1,700 police officers. If I am elected, I will reverse his cuts,” pledges Labour’s mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone.
Crime is a key issue for swing voters and Ken’s team hope to portray Boris as weak on policing. But how would Ken fund the extra police? And where does the figure come from?
The source turns out to be Boris himself. In a typically bumbling interview on LBC radio the mayor was asked to confirm that police staffing levels had dropped by 1,700.
Johnson responded: “Yes, but as I’ve said to you many times now we will have more police on the beat at the end of this four year term than there were at the beginning.”
Ken’s campaign took this as confirmation that 1,700 police officers had been cut. This doesn’t add up.
According to figures from the Metropolitan Police Authority there were 31,398 police officers in London at the end of March 2008, just before Boris took control.
The latest figures – from December 2011 – show there are 31,427 officers in the capital, an increase of 29 policemen during the course of Boris’ mayoralty.
The confusion results from fluctuations during the mayor’s term in office. Police numbers peaked at 32,543 in March 2009 before dropping back.
Even so, how would Ken presume to fund an additional 1,700 officers?
His answer involves charging Transport for London an additional £20m for policing services – a challenge, given his pledge to cut fares.
THE VERDICT | NO
CONFUSED MAYOR TO BLAME
The number of officers in the Met Police has fluctuated around the 32,000 mark for the last four years. Ken’s plan to fund increased police staffing levels from TfL contributions looks fanciful.