"Eyes and ears" crime-busters could be set to face the axe - Westminster Council plans to cut Guardian and Inspector jobs to save £2.15m per annum
Published: 9 April 2010
by TOM FOOT
CITY Hall is on a collision course with trade unions over proposals to axe half of its team of brave crime-busters.
Westminster Council chiefs want to axe 66 out of 125 City Guardians and Inspectors – dubbed the “eyes and ears” of the borough – from June in order to save £2.15million each year.
The patrol teams cover 11 wards and each individual is assigned to a special project such as drugs, litter or child safety.
Unison branch secretary Stephen Higgins said: “The idea is to move away from the current system of City Guardians and Inspectors. They want one team doing both jobs.
“City Guardians help to make public areas safer and cleaner. Their visible presence can help to reduce crime.”
The union has been boosted by a recent council report saying the redundancies will impact on the council’s anti-crime and child safety work.
Dean Ingledew, Westminster’s operational director of street management, said: “Activities currently performed by the City Guardians which may be lost in the new structure include their contribution to some elements of crime and disorder reduction and community work, including child protection, work with the elderly population and high visibility patrolling.”
But he added: “We need to move with the times.
“The new service will mean we will actually have more of the right people, in the right place, at the right time, crucially with the full powers of enforcement and skills to really make a difference.”
City Guardians spend around 35 per cent of their time dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour, 25 per cent dealing with environmental issues and 40 per cent in other reassurance or community work.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour Group, said: “This Scrutiny Committee report makes it absolutely clear that efforts to cut crime and tackle anti-social behaviour will be hit hard if the Conservative plans to axe 66 City Guardians are allowed to go through.”