A Labour Assembly Member has warned that Ealing could lose up to 299 police officers if proposed Government cuts go ahead.

Labour London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon, Dr Onkar Sahota, said Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe's recent warning that London could lose 8,000 officers would "devastate" the force.

According to Dr Sahota, a cut of 8,000 police officers would mean that if the measure was shared equally across the Met's front line teams, Ealing would stand to lose 170 officers, and 299 if specialist units were excluded.

He said: "The Commissioner said that across the capital 8,000 police officers could be lost.

"If shared equally across all the Met’s front line teams, including firearms and sexual offences specialists, borough police forces would lose about 25% of their officers, for Ealing that would mean 170 police officers lost.

"If however specialist units were protected and the 8,000 officers were all lost from London boroughs Ealing would lose 299 police officers, the equivalent of 44% of the current local force."

Mr Onkar Sahota went on to say that Mr Hogan-Howe's claim highlighted "just how wrong the Home Secretary is to claim her cuts to the police force are not hitting the front line."

He added that since 2010, he believes Ealing has already lost 190 police officers and PCSOs, and said there can be "no doubt" about the danger of the cuts to London.

But Conservative councillor Ian Proud said changes to the way police are operating was paving the way for more efficient work, softening the blow of potential cuts.

Mr Proud added that although the commissioners words "seem alarming," he believes police are being deployed far more effectively in Ealing now.

He added: "Everyone is concerned about the level of policing but it is entirely up to the commissioner to manage this.

"But if there is a ward that has some trouble in it they will take people from other wards and deal with it."

And to his knowledge, Mr Proud added that crime in the Cleveland ward was in fact going down because of changes to the way police are being deployed.

According to Dr Sahota, since May 2010 the Met has seen £600m slashed from its budget resulting in 190 fewer police officers and PCSOs in Ealing.

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