Islington police go back on the beat in show of force

Published: 18th February, 2011
by TERRY MESSENGER

POLICE have staged a show of strength in Islington to reassure the public that they will still be protected – despite deep cuts in their budget.

Around 250 uniformed officers went on the beat in the borough in a special exercise to “deter and detect”.

Pounding the pavement with them was Borough Commander Mike Wise, who said “Operation Harbour” was “about reassuring the community in Islington in difficult times that the Met is here for them, to do what they expect”.

Forty people were arrested during the operation last Wednesday for offences including GBH, drug dealing, public disorder and theft.

Nationally, police are facing a 15 per cent reduction in their budget over the next four years and Islington’s force is expected to take its share of the cuts.

Chief Supt Wise declined to comment on specific plans for budget reductions in the borough but insisted front-line policing would be protected.

Walking along Upper Street and Chapel Market, he told the Tribune:   “Like any senior manager in any organisation, when your funding is reduced you are concerned about how that will impact on your business. “Having seen the settlement that we have here, I’m confident that we can deliver policing in Islington that people deserve.”

He said that Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson “has made it quite clear that he wants to preserve front line policing”. And he added:  “Inevitably there will be some reduction of police numbers across London. But I’m confident that with the policing numbers we have now and are projected to have that we can be able to [preserve front-line policing].” 

His latest remarks contrast with a warning he delivered in October about the effect of spending cuts.

Falling crime figures have been the trend over the past two years as police and Islington Council launched a series of “community safety” initiatives. Three months ago, however, Chief Supt Wise told a meeting of the council’s Communities Review Committee that spending cuts meant “business would no longer be as usual”.

During Operation Harbour, Islington police officers were supported by other Met units including Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) officers, the Cycle Task Force, the Motorbike team, the Special Constabulary, the Air Support Unit, and Safer Transport teams.