Met could remove water coolers to tackle £255m deficit (Newham Borough Liberal Democrats)

Newham Borough Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Met could remove water coolers to tackle £255m deficit

December 30, 2009 7:34 PM
In http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8434691.stm
Originally published by London Assembly Liberal Democrats

The Metropolitan Police (Met) has proposed a raft of measures to address a yearly £255m budget deficit.

They include the axing of all temporary staff, cutting the use of consultants and only making new appointments under "exceptional circumstances".

Water coolers are set to be cut from offices, staff will be urged to travel less and fewer publications ordered.

It has already been revealed the force will employ 455 fewer police officers by 2013 to cut costs.

But the number of police community support officers will remain the same.

The latest proposals come as the Met continues to ponder how to trim hundreds of millions from its £3.5bn budget after savings were ordered by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "In the current financial climate the Met has a responsibility to Londoners to scrutinise every aspect of our expenditure, to identify every available opportunity for savings.

"Every saving we can make in support functions without affecting service delivery means more resources are available to be directed into front-line policing and other key services."

But Dee Doocey, a Liberal Democrat member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "Savings in the Met must start at the top.

"At a stroke the Met could save £2m a year by removing chauffeur-driven cars from senior officers."

She added: "It is shameful such perks are allowed to continue when the Met is set to see a fall in the number of police officers across London."

Costs will increase in some areas, with funds set to be spent on fighting knife crime, kennelling dangerous dogs and operating a rape intelligence unit