Exclusive: Met Police criticised for cutting volunteer cadet programme due to "challenging resourcing situation”

6 September 2024, 15:43

By Henry Riley

@HenryRiley1

London’s Metropolitan Police is being criticised for axing part of its Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC) programme across the 32 London Boroughs, as parents slam the “shambolic, shortsighted institution”.

LBC can reveal that the Metropolitan Police is cutting its cadet programme in all London boroughs. A letter circulated to parents warned of “significant changes… which may impact on the range of things we can offer”.

The memo said that the changes “may be disappointing” as it outlined that the Junior part of the scheme, for 11–13-year-olds, is to be scrapped completely, alongside the service offered to those over the age of 18 being ditched.

Moving forward, the Volunteer Police Cadets will be for those aged between 13 and 17, but for that age bracket, there will also be cuts, with an immediate ban on overnight activities, camps or international travel.

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Denis Day, whose daughter is on the scheme, told LBC that it was a “great asset to the Met, young people and communities”.

During her time with the programme she has aided knife sweeps which otherwise may have taken police from other duties, test purchase in shops for the sale of alcohol to underage people, and has helped at community events.

Volunteer Police Cadets often help frontline officers on community support instances, and can support police in terms of weapons sweeps supervised by frontline officers.

A note circulated by staff police officers, who run the scheme, to parents and guardians outlined that “the Metropolitan Police Service finds itself in a challenging resourcing situation and we are having to make changes to meet our priorities”, and therefore there will be a “smaller and more limited VPC programme”.

It said that the VPC programme “relies on a sizeable number of full-time police officers and many others who dedicate significant duty time to the scheme” when there are reduced resources within the Met.

Another parent, who preferred not to be named, wrote to the Met expressing their “disappointment and disbelief” at the scheme being cut.

In an email seen by LBC, they said it “had restored my belief that the MET Police is a shambolic, shortsighted institution that is not fit for purpose, and like your own decision for the Junior VPS, it should be disbanded”.

Explaining that their daughter had eventually hoped to join the police he said that it was “now lost due to a small budgeting win”, and noted that it was the highlight of her week.

The Metropolitan Police said in the letter to parents “we know this will be disappointing news for you and the decisions have not been made lightly… it is not an option to maintain the scheme as it is”

Those who are currently 18 will no longer be able to be cadets but will be able to apply to become as a Community Based Volunteer.

LBC understands that Shadow Cabinet Minister, and former Policing Minister, Chris Philp, has written to the Met Commissioner to express his “serious concern”.

Philp, the MP for Croydon, has 160 cadets in his borough, including aspiring officers, and others who have had a history with crime and are trying to turn their fortunes around.

Some of the activities which Croydon cadets have supported in the past few years including supporting at the Notting Hill carnival, volunteering sat the Trooping the Colour dress rehearsal, as well as helping with test purchases at shops and weapons sweeps.

The Cadets have also been known to help the elderly in the borough by volunteering at a Rotary lunch, and supporting community events such as fireworks and fairs.

In response, a Met police spokesperson said: “Our volunteer police cadets do an amazing job and we are committed to continuing with the programme.

“In order to do this with the resourcing challenges we have, we need to reduce the number of cadets the scheme, the age range, and some of the activities involved.

“This will bring our approach in  line with cadet schemes run by other police services, so we can continue to support it in the most effective and safe way possible”.