Metropolitan Police to put hundreds more officers on London's streets

The Metropolitan Police have said they will put hundreds more police officers on London’s streets over the next six months as they try to make women and girls feel safer.

The force has announced an additional 650 officers will be put in place, with 500 officers being based permanently in busy neighbourhoods and 150 joining areas as “Bobbies on the beat”.

The drive is aimed at tackling violent crime, including domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, after the murder of Sarah Everard by police officer Wayne Couzens.

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The new staff will come from the government’s national recruitment drive and redeployed personnel.

Couzens used his police issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage the fake arrest of the 33-year-old before he raped and murdered her.

The first tranche of officers will be in place by late 2021 and all 19 teams are expected to be in place by spring 2022.

They will be located in boroughs and towns across London, from Hounslow, west London, to Barking and Dagenham, east London.

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Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: “Local policing is at the heart of everything we do and we know that we are so much more effective if we are in communities and neighbourhoods, working side-by-side with all Londoners, listening and engaging with them, tackling the issues that make them feel unsafe.”

Jess Phillips, shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, said she welcomed the drive but felt “fundamental systematic changes” still needed to be made.

Areas where there are “extraordinary demands”, such as Westminster, means there will be “enhanced” or “additional” town centre teams.

The boroughs of Camden and Brent will have two teams whilst the West End will have a single but bigger team.

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At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said making communities safer and allowing women to be able to walk home feeling safe at night is his “number one priority”.

He said he was “shocked and horrified” by the murders of Ms Everard and Sabina Nessa.

Mr Raab said: “Making our communities safer, so that women can walk home at night without having to look over their shoulder, as your Justice Secretary, that is my number one priority. We will transform the way the justice system treats violence against women.”

On Monday, Met Police chief Dame Cressida Dick announced she has called in an independent reviewer to look at the force’s culture and standards following Couzens’ whole life sentencing last week.

Dame Cressida plans to announce who will undertake the review, expected to take at least six months, in about a week’s time.

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