The Metropolitan Police faces “eye-watering” cuts to the force’s spending, its boss has warned.
Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was “deeply troubled by the situation” and that back-up options such as selling police stations “have run out”.
“Some of the challenges the Met faces come from desperately trying to keep a significant number of police officers but cutting everything else,” Sir Mark said.
“We have half the money per square metre for maintaining our property than Whitehall has for government buildings per annum. What that means is we can refurbish each police building once every 130 years. That’s completely crazy.”
The Met Police, the largest police force in the country, will receive up to £3.5bn in funding in 2024/25, the Home Office has said – a 3.5% increase on the previous year.
Comparing policing spending with that in New York and Sydney, Sir Mark said those cities spend about 50% more per capita than London.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking With Nick Robinson podcast, the commissioner said “the cumulative effect of decisions over the last decade or so” had put the force “in a more and more precarious position”.
“The chancellor has been very clear – it’s a difficult public sector context,” he added.
“You add all those things together. And you get a dramatic change in budgets and of a scale that’s never going to be absorbed by efficiencies. And it’s going to require some pretty eye-watering cuts to the services we provide to London.”
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He said the numbers presented some “very difficult choices” and he expected to set out spending plans “properly before Christmas”.
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A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said “nothing is more important” than keeping Londoners safe.
The spokesperson said there had been “record” investment for policing and crime prevention in the city in this year’s budget.
“The mayor is working closely with the commissioner and the new government to ensure the Met gets the longer-term funding needed to help make our city safer for everyone.”