City Hall has been criticised for blaming the previous Conservative government’s funding of policing in London for the current shortfall of officers.
By Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter
City Hall has been criticised for blaming the previous Conservative government’s funding of policing in London for the current shortfall of officers.
The Met has recently announced that it needs 38,000 officers and 19,000 staff based on London’s population and a comparison to other police forces internationally.
However – despite record investment from City Hall – Met Police officer numbers have fallen from 34,523 in April 2023 to 31,181 in March 2026 – around 400 less than when Sir Sadiq took office a decade ago.
Over the same period, police staff have increased from 10,359 to 11,558 and the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) have increased from 1,208 to 1,389 – though this is still far short of the Met’s ambitions.
Despite the fall, Mayor has continued to insist he will hit his 2024 manifesto pledge to put 1,300 extra police officers, community support officers and special constables on the streets of London by the next election in 2028.
Tough choices
Earlier this week Deputy Mayor for Policing Kaya Comer-Schwartz blamed the reduction in police officers on a “decade of underfunding” from the previous Tory government.
“We are working to stabilise for this year and recognise the manifesto pledges we have around neighbourhood officers,” she said.
“Tough choices had to be made last year, and that’s why we’re here. It’s the cumulative impact of years of underfunding – the tough choices had to be moved forward.”
The Met has been forced to make a number of cost-saving measures in recent months, including reducing the number of 24/7 front counters across London and redeploying specialist officers to neighbourhood roles.
In addition, Ms Comer-Schwartz pointed to recent spikes in inflation and cost pressures on all public services for the Met’s struggles with officer numbers, adding: “Inflation doesn’t stay still, neither do continual cost pressures and borrowing costs.
“We are marginally ahead of the previous Mayor’s position, we have worked really hard to stabilise the workforce.
“We are doing all we can to ensure officers are in the right places.
“Headcount is really important – we know Londoners prioritise the visibility of policing, but that needs to be enabled by the right equipment, data services, infrastructure, vehicles.
“Workforce has to be a key priority, but recognise that we need to get that balance right and make sure officers have the infrastructure they need to successfully carry out their work.”
The Deputy Mayor also claimed that the previous Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, made “different choices” to Sir Sadiq, including selling off police stations to help balance the Met’s budget.
38,000 officer goal
She confirmed the 38,000 officer goal set by the Mayor and Met Police was still active, and claimed Sir Sadiq should be “proud” of his record on policing.
“Given the 14 years of underfunding, the Mayor should be proud of stepping up, taking tough decisions, funding the Met through the Mayoral precept and the work around making sure public protection is prioritised,” she told the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee (BPC).
“Police officers are down, but working alongside the Commissioner in reforming and resetting the Met in terms of culture and performance, there are reasons to be proud as well.”
Amana Humayun, Chief Finance Officer for MOPAC, said the Met has been relying on its extensive reserves for some years to meet demands.
“That is one-off funding, it’s not replenished – we now have limited reserves and a minimum level of reserves we are required to maintain,” she told Assembly Members.
Adrian Wight, Interim Chief Financial Officer at the Met, said the force needs to recruit 2,000 officers a year “just to stand still” due to an average staff turnover rate of around seven per cent.
In a written answer to BPC chair Neil Garratt last week, the Mayor said: “The figure of 38,000 officers reflects an assessment of the level of policing London would ideally have to meet demand given the scale and complexity of crime in a global city of over nine million people — particularly given the unique national and capital city functions the Met performs.
“However, the reality is that policing in London continues to operate within significant financial constraints, and I have always been clear that we must set a budget that is deliverable and sustainable.
“Whilst 38,000 officers remains a benchmark of what London ideally requires, the current position reflects the financial realities we face.
“Overall officer numbers are expected to remain broadly stable this year around 31,250. However, the Met need to balance the budget this year and, if priority measures – pursuing more funding and driving efficiency through technology – do not materialise to the extent required, then the Met may need to explore delivering savings by reducing workforce.”
Government and City Hall accused of failing to prioritise frontline policing
However, the BPC also heard from experts who suggested that central government funding for policing was entirely “insufficient” for boosting frontline officers.
Ian Wiggett, Associate Director at the World Policing Advisory, said: “Money is being taken out of the general pot for policing and given back to forces on the condition it will be spent on extra neighbourhood officers – but the overall pot is shrinking.”
The Met is predominantly funded by central government – in the current financial year it will receive £2.7 billion in general funding, accounting for 54.4 per cent of its total budget.
A further £933 million (19 per cent) comes from specific government grants, while local funding raised through the GLA council tax precept and business rates makes up a quarter of the MPS 2025-26 budget, up from 19.6 per cent a decade ago.
The Mayor has raised the police council tax precept by the maximum permitted amount every year since he was elected.
However, Sir Sadiq was accused of failing to direct the funding effectively.
Reform UK Assembly Member Alex Wilson, who sits on the BPC, told the LDRS: “Sadiq Khan is hiding behind his excuse of central Government funding despite the fact that the MPS budget is a shambles that could easily be rectified. Of the entire Met Police budget, only 47 per cent goes into actual frontline policing – this is not an appropriate use of funds.
“The Mayor’s ideological pursuit of ‘decarbonisation of the police estate’ comes at a great cost to London at a time when our city has seldom felt more unsafe.”
Mr Garratt added: “The Budget and Performance Committee set out to understand why the number of Met officers is declining.
“We heard how the Met needs to balance local policing against central London protests, with new technology potentially making remaining officers more efficient in the face of competing budgetary demands.
“Increasing costs including rising wages and new technologies, are also influencing the Met’s resourcing.
“It is vital that the Met works closely with the Mayor and government to ensure it has the appropriate levels of funding required to make London as safe as possible for Londoners and visitors alike.”
