At Mayor’s Question Time on Tuesday morning, Liberal Democrat assembly member Gareth Roberts claimed that if the Met were to scrap its Royal Parks Operational Command Unit (OCU), that would be a “political choice” by Sir Sadiq.
Sir Sadiq said he was also “not in the habit of making operational choices for the commissioner”, though he stressed that Sir Mark is “well-experienced to understand where every pound can be spent prudently to address the issues the public have asked for - good neighbourhood policing, good public protection and a good response [to crime]”.
It came as questions were repeatedly raised over how many officers will be cut from the overall Met Police Service in the coming year - which both the mayor and Met said they could not answer at this stage.
He added: “I hear you though, in relation to your genuine concerns, because of your expertise - not just as a trustee [of the Royal Parks], but because you know the area - about the additionality the Royal Parks Police provides, and I’ve passed those on to the commissioner, because you make really salient points, and I get it.
Sir Sadiq Khan faced fresh calls on Tuesday to “ring-fence funding” to protect the Royal Parks Police, amid concerns over armed criminal gangs capitalising on cuts.
