Royal Parks Police Disbanded

This article first appeared in The Greenwich Society newsletter 

The Greenwich Society is very sorry to see the disbanding of the Royal Parks Police across London. At the last Safer Parks Panel meeting in April, Nick McLaughlin, Inspector of the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit, chaired this meeting and gave an update on the future of the Royal Parks Police and the dedicated police unit within Greenwich Park. A Police crime report for the last quarter was not presented to the meeting.

A significant funding shortfall of £260 million to the Metropolitan Police Service budget has led to a large gap in funds. Consequently, the decision was taken that the Royal Parks Police will be disbanded from May onwards.

Much of the work of the Parks Police will be transferred to the Borough Command Units (BCUs), and local policing teams will have an opportunity to use the allocated offices in the park as a base. They will be tasked to respond to crime reports, prioritise events and more serious crime incidents with less emphasis on enforcing park regulations.

Despite making many representations to the appropriate bodies, Safer Parks Panel members are very disappointed at the disbanding of the Royal Parks Police. Members expressed their gratitude to the team for all their efforts and endeavour over the years in reducing crime and keeping people safe who use and visit the park.

Contacting the Local Police Team:

Neighbourhood Officers will still respond to emergency calls. For emergencies or any sort of threat dial 999.
For other less serious incidents dial 101.

https://www.met.police.uk/