The UK Government has withdrawn £31 million in recruitment funding from the Metropolitan Police, raising concerns over the force potentially facing a shortage of 2,000 officers by the following year.
The funding was part of a manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 new police officers across the country by March 2023 under the Police Uplift Programme.
The Home Office spokesperson stated that the Met would receive an additional £102 million compared to the previous year.
. The Home Office highlighted that the Metropolitan Police would receive up to £3.3 billion in 2023-24, marking a potential increase of £102 million compared to the previous year.
To address the shortfall, the Met is urging the Government to allocate further funding to bridge the gap and fulfill its staffing requirements.
While the Government claims to have increased overall funding for the Met, the Mayor of London and the Commissioner stress the need for additional officers.