Ealing Labour has condemned the retreat from community policing under the Tory-led Government and the Tory Mayor of London at an Ealing council meeting this week.

The condemnation was a response to the recent Stevens review of policing which concluded that community police is under threat from the Government’s austerity programme.

Ealing has already faced the reduction in the number of police officers including experienced sergeants, as well as a reduction in the size of safer neighbourhood police teams. Community officers are now also regularly called away on other business.

Speaking in the debate Cllr Julian Bell said:

“Community policing is up there as one of the biggest achievements of the last Labour government. It has helped improve the public’s view of the police and has increased the police’s knowledge and understanding of the areas they are policing. Unfortunately under this Government and Mayor it is being steadily eroded through cuts. Labour is committed to community policing and we will continue to campaign for it.”