Policing articles

Supporting Pauline Pearce in Hackney

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.

101 police line keeps too many Londoners waiting on the phone

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:

  • Almost one million Londoners simply gave up seeking to get through to the 101 telephone line
  • The average time during 2017 to get through was 4 minutes and 4 seconds, although in June 2017 it soared to 8 minutes and 20 seconds

Vulnerable children in London are waiting too long for the Met to improve

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.

Mayor's Question Time, January 2018

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.

On the beat with East Dulwich police

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.

Useful meeting and engagement from Hackney Police

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:

More costly blunders waste the Met's IT budget

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.”

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