Met Police to cut more than 1,700 officers and staff amid growing funding crisis

2 April 2025, 00:27 | Updated: 2 April 2025, 07:42

Scotland Yard is set to axe more than 1,700 police officers and staff amid a £260 million hole in the Metropolitan Police’s budget.

The Met announced on Wednesday it has been forced to make “substantial tough choices” despite being granted extra funding by central and local government.

Amid these cuts, which will see at least 1,700 members of staff axed, Sir Sadiq Khan has announced a record £1.16 billion City Hall investment in the “chronically underfunded” force.

This will reportedly save 935 neighbourhood police officer posts.

Mr Khan pledged no cuts will be made to emergency response teams “which the public rely on at times of crisis” amid soaring knife crime and phone thefts in the capital.

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Last year, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned the Met might need to cut 2,300 officers, so any number less than that may be viewed as a win by Scotland Yard.

Amid the cuts, cold case investigations lasting decades have be slashed by 11%, unarmed officers are being removed from firearms teams, and the Dogs Unit and Mounted Branch are being slashed by 7% and 25% respectively.

A Met spokesperson said: “We are very grateful for the additional funding we have received from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Home Office.

“While this new funding decreases our original funding gap from £450m, it leaves us with a £260m shortfall and we will have to make substantial tough choices, reducing our size by over 1,700 officers, staff and PCSOs and therefore our services.”

“This places an extraordinary stretch on our dedicated men and women. The Commissioner is incredibly grateful and humbled by what they achieve with increased demand and a rapidly shrinking Met.

“Over the coming months, we will be working with the Home Office, Mayor and MOPAC through the Spending Review to put the Met on a financial footing which enables a sustainable workforce plan.”

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan added: “The previous government chronically underfunded the Met, making cuts to policing in London that were in real terms equivalent to more than £1.1 billion.

“This has left the Met in an extremely difficult financial situation.

“As Mayor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to support the police.

“That’s why I’m announcing a record £1.16bn annual investment in the police from City Hall.

“This historic increase will protect neighbourhood policing in our communities and significantly reduce the level of cuts the Met had been planning.