THE number of sergeants heading-up safer neighbourhood teams in London could be slashed almost in half, it has been revealed.

Met Police chiefs are planning to axe 100 sergeants next year and another 200 the year after, potentially cutting the number assigned to local units from 630 to 330.

The plans were revealed under questioning from London Assembly members last week, after top police officers presented a budget with plans to save around £15 million in safer neighbourhood supervision by 2013.

Joanne McCartney, Labour assembly member for Enfield and Haringey, described the news as a “real blow to neighbourhood policing”, and her colleague Caroline Pidgeon (LD) said the move would be “damaging” to police and community relationships.

She said: “If this happens, we will have fewer police on the frontline, which damages the relationship between communities and police teams, and harms the frontline police ability to tackle crime.

“It's an insult to Londoners.”

The budget has not yet been finalised, and the future of safer neighbourhood teams remains under consultation with a definitive answer due next month.

Some of the capital's police forces have admitted considering merging local police teams as they look to make drastic savings while protecting services.

The local teams are currently made up of one sergeant, two PCs and three Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and each patrol a different ward in the borough.

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