Caroline got on the campaign trail with Pauline Pearce, the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Hackney.
In St John's ward it was good to see a knife amnesty bin, but it's clear we need more of these in safe places in the borough - and we need a new approach to tackling violence.
Caroline and Pauline also went to Hackney Downs and Dalston Kingsland station to campaign for proper step-free access.
Figures showing the lengthy wait many Londoners face in attempting to contact the 101 police non-emergency line have been revealed by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat Londonwide Assembly Member.
Caroline's questions to the Mayor revealed that in 2017:
Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and campaigner for better child protection, commenting on the fourth report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on the record of child protection investigations undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service commented:
“It is disturbing that 15 months after the first highly critical report was published, shortcomings are still rife in child protection investigations undertaken by the Met.
In January's Mayor's Question Time, Caroline Pidgeon pressed the mayor in detail on how the Metropolitan Police are addressing weaknesses in their child protection service.
Caroline Pidgeon welcomed the Mayor's allocation of an extra £15m to fight knife crime in 2018, but called for more dedicated youth workers in A&E to focus on intervention and support for every victim.
As part of the "Walk The Met" initiative, Caroline spent time with East Dulwich police officers Simon and Tricia learning about life in frontline policing, especially the stretch on the police over the Christmas period.
As the consultation over the Mayor’s plans to close and sell off police stations across London comes to an end, a call has been made for the Mayor to first examine the continuing practice of senior police officers being offered free accommodation in expensive flats.
Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and Member of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, described the Mayor’s consultation on Met Police Services as ‘shambolic’ after the details of important public meetings were finally published - almost eight weeks after the consultation started.
Hackney Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman, Pauline Pearce, had a meeting this week with Matt Twist, the Metropolitan Police Commander for the Met Task Force and Armed Police, to discuss arrest protocols following the death of Rashan Charles in Hackney.
The meeting was set up and attended by Caroline Pidgeon, London Assembly member for the Liberal Democrats.
Commenting on the meeting, Pauline Pearce said:
Figures reported to the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee have shown that the Metropolitan Police have overspent their budget by £30m this year on IT projects, as well as taking £24m from their reserves.
Liberal Democrat committee member Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The Met has a very long history of costly IT blunders, which have cost the public millions of pounds. It appears the Mayor was duped by the Met’s forecasts, which were wildly optimistic in terms of the savings that new technology would make.”
