Cressida Dick says violent crime rise linked to policing numbers

There is “some link” between falling police numbers and a rise in violent crime, Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick says.

That’s despite Theresa May saying there was “no direct correlation”.

It comes after two 17-year-olds were killed in separate stabbings in London and Greater Manchester at the weekend.

Ms Dick told LBC Radio their deaths showed “how big of a challenge this is” – and that it was not a London-only problem.

Jodie Chesney was killed in an east-London park as she played music with friends, while Yousef Ghaleb Makkie was stabbed to death in the village of Hale Barns, near Altrincham.

In her radio appearance on Tuesday morning, Ms Dick also:

Denied that her force was failing to tackle the issue
Welcomed a boost to police numbers in London – but said they were still below the levels they were in 2013-14
Agreed that middle class recreational drug users have “blood on their hands” over recent deaths, as the drugs trade is a key driver behind street violence

Meanwhile, former Home Office minister Vernon Coaker has said the government should treat knife crime with the same urgency as terrorism.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said he will meet police chiefs to look at ways to combat violence.

Speaking about policing numbers, Ms Dick said: “If you went back in history, you would see examples of when police officer numbers have gone down and crime has not necessarily risen at the same rate and in the same way.

“But I think that what we all agree on is that in the last few years police officer numbers have gone down a lot, there’s been a lot of other cuts in public services, there has been more demand for policing, and therefore there must be something and I have consistently said that.

“I agree that there is some link between violent crime on the streets obviously and police numbers, of course there is, and everybody would see that.”

Her comments come after the prime minister provoked anger on Monday by saying there was “no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers”.

Senior police officers have called for a reverse to cuts in staffing levels.

Source: (BBC News)