London’s Police Shortage: 416 PCSOs Still MIA
Despite a new recruitment push, the capital’s Metropolitan Police is still 416 officers short of its community‑policing target—about 35 % of the numbers they aim for. In fact, the Met has lost 36 PCSOs since July and has flunked the ambitious goal of hiring 500 new officers by the end of 2023.
Back in June last year, the Met said it would add 500 PCSOs by the end of 2023 and a whopping 1,100 more by mid‑2025, aiming to boost the whole force by 40 % at first and eventually more than 130 %.
Key Numbers to Keep in Mind
- London PCSOs are down 32 % since 2015.
- The Met’s hiring plan set an early target that has backfired.
- After the failed recruitment spike, the city’s mayor had to return £31 million to the government.
Why This Matters to Londoners
Caroline Pidgeon, a Liberal Democrat Assembly Member and Police and Crime Spokesperson, slammed the situation:
“PCSOs keep our neighbourhoods safe—yet despite the latest recruitment push, their numbers have actually dipped. Five years of brutal cuts have left the police starved for resources, and the city’s mayor had to hand back a massive £31 million because the officer rush didn’t hit the mark. We need both the Conservatives and Labour to stop treating community safety like a political pawn and find the real solutions to rebuild trust.”
The Bottom Line
London’s policing deficit is no longer a tidy spreadsheet—it’s a community’s safety net fraying. If we want visible, trusted officers who are actually in our streets, the first step is for the political parties to stop turning the police into a football‑pit and start treating them as the people they are meant to protect.
