The Metropolitan Police is considering scrapping all 1000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) working in neighbourhoods across the Capital. Quite simply this could spell the end of meaningful neighbourhood policing in London.

London’s Liberal Democrats value our neighbourhood policing teams and we are committed to fighting to protect them.

We’re calling on the Met Police to scrap their plans, not our Neighbourhood Police. Please sign our petition.

Liberal Democrat Assembly member and mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon said: “Up until now the immense budget pressures facing the Met have been cushioned by the sale of buildings and land.  However the harsh reality is that this windfall will not last long in helping to protect our police service.

“The Met will have to start looking carefully at what it funds including for example policing outside football games of premiership clubs and the cost of operations such as Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy.

“And if we want London to remain a safe city, then it may be that Council Tax will need to rise to pay for neighbourhood policing.”

“If there is a budget gap then a few pounds on council tax bills is a price worth paying for keeping London safe.”

Our petition is here: http://www.londonlibdems.org.uk/save_neighbourhood_policing – please share it.