The Green Party’s Home Affairs spokesperson and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Jenny Jones AM, questioned the London Mayor today about why the number of Met Police press officers had increased since 2007/08, along with a 20% jump in their publicity budget. This has happened despite a 2008 manifesto pledge that Boris Johnson made to spend more on frontline police by reducing the number of staff in the directorate of public affairs from 74 to 50 and to halve the Metropolitan Police publicity budget.
The Mayor responded to Jenny at today’s Mayor’s Question Time by saying that he "would look at the figures "and she had "got a result".
Jenny Jones said:
"The Mayor promised to dramatically cut down the number of Met Police press staff and to slash the publicity budget, but both have risen since he was elected. It is ridiculous that the Met is spending more money on its image, whilst cutting borough police budgets by 5% year after year. The Mayor promised to increase frontline police, but one of the main impacts of his policies next year will be to cut the frontline traffic police section by 20 officers, 5 PCSOs and 5 staff. This is the opposite of what Londoners were promised."
Notes to editors
Police and press officers
Q: Should Londoners hold you to account on you manifesto commitment to spend less on MPS press officers and more on police officers?
Manifesto commitment:
"We need to spend less on press officers, and more on police officers. We need to redirect more resources to frontline policing."(Making London Safer, p.5)
"I will release funds that Ken Livingstone has earmarked for MPA advertising and press officers to be spent on approximately 50 extra fully-warranted British Transport Police Officers to patrol the worst stations in outer London."(Making London Safer, p.6)
"By reducing the number of press staff to 50 and halving publicity spend we will redirect £3.1 million from marketing and spin to frontline policing." (Making London Safer, p.16)
Facts:
MPS Dept of Public Affairs:
Spending
07/08 outturn- £5.7m
10/11 budget – £6.8m (nearly 20% increase)
Staffing
07/08 – 73
10/11 – 74
Instead of taking money for transport police from public affairs/ press officers Mayor is taking money from
* Borough Command budgets
* Traffic Unit budget (cut by 10%)
* Income raised from fines levied on uninsured drivers