Little Known changes to Policing in London to affect London communities

There are important changes being made to London's Safer Neighbourhood teams which were once the jewel in the crown of the Metropolitan Police. Cuts to this service are being made by the Mayor of London even though he pledged  in 2008 to ensure that there were at least six police officers in every ward. In 2011 Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor for policing also said that SNTs in London would be maintained. Safer Neighbourhood teams generally have a sergeant, two constables and three police community support officers in each ward.  In future it is likely that there will only be one police constable and police community support officer in each ward. The draft Police and Crime Plan proposes to decimate Safer Neighbourhoodteams, even though it states that there will be 2,600 more officers than in October 2011, by returning to what Caroline Pidgeon of the London Assembly Liberal Democrats describes as "sector policing". The successful SNTs are the victim of budget cuts. In January 2011 it was revealed that the number of police sergeants in  the neighbourhood policing teams were to be halved by 2013. It was revealed that the Metropolitan Police expected SNT sergeants to be cut by 100 and by 200 the following year to leave around 330 officers.