Sir Sadiq Khan’s refusal to ensure the Royal Parks Police Unit will survive cuts to the Met Police could open opportunities to criminals, according to the leader of Richmond Council.
Cllr Gareth Roberts, who is also the Assembly Member for South West London, has hit out at the Mayor of London uncertainty over the financial future of the specialist unit.
He said: “I’m appalled that the Mayor is refusing to ensure funding is available to protect the Royal Parks Police.
“This is a political choice that he is making. We’re already seeing armed, organised criminal gangs targeting Londoners in the inner London Royal Parks during times when they know the police aren’t on duty.
“Heaven knows what message a complete cut to the Royal Parks Police will send to criminals who want to exploit this opportunity.”
The potential cuts come despite growing anxiety around targeted muggings to cyclists in parks.
A 63-year-old cyclist from Kew Gardens, who did not want to be named, said they were worried about the increasing number of attacks to cyclists to steal their expensive bikes.
The Times reported that three cyclists on bikes worth thousands of pounds were targeted by muggers in one day in January in Regent’s Park.
Due to his concerns for safety, a regular Richmond Park cyclist, 73, who also wished to stay anonymous, said he would not cycle at night without the Parks Police.
MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson voiced the concerns of her constituents to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in the House of Commons on February 24.
Wilson said: “My constituents are extremely concerned about plans to axe the specialist royal parks policing unit and subsume it into community support teams, given the £450 million shortfall facing the Met police.
“This means that Bushy Park in my constituency will undoubtedly get less police coverage.”
The Home Secretary disputed the reduction of support for neighbourhood policing.
Cooper said: “We are increasing neighbourhood policing, with an additional £200 million of investment.
“That is part of up to £1.1 billion of additional funding next year for our police forces across the country.”
If the specialist division is cut, local neighbourhood officers will likely take on the policing of parks leaving many concerned about enforcement levels.
The Royal Parks Police Unit is responsible for the policing of 5000 acres of parkland as well as the care of wildlife, including over 630 red and fallow deer in Richmond Park.
The unit is set to close by December according to an update by the Metropolitan Police to the Richmond and Bushy Parks Safer Parks Panel on February 14.
This announcement confirms the potential cut to the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit due to a £450 million funding gap.
At the Mayor’s Question Time this week, Cllr Roberts said the mayor is making a “political choice” with his “refusal to ring fence funding for the Royal Parks Police.”
Sir Sadiq claimed instead the Liberal Democrat Conservative coalition government had taken a political choice with austerity that included cuts to the police service.
He added Roberts had to “live with those consequences.”
The mayor referred to the decision to cut the Royal Park Police as an operational choice to be made by the Met’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.
Sir Rowley has said specific teams, including the Royal Parks, would be slashed in a “worst-case scenario.”
In response to the concerns raised, a Met spokesperson said: “We have been clear on the financial challenges the Met faces.
“As expected, we are carefully planning for any tough choices we may have to make to ensure we live within our means, and as part of that we are working closely with partners to ensure they are aware and prepared.”
Feature picture: From @MPSRoyal_Parks on X with permission.
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