Lecturers and pupils have expressed their fears over plans by the Metropolitan Police to take away greater than 300 specialist officers from long-held posts in London faculties.
Headteachers have warned that pupils can be put at better danger of violence and exploitation by gangs if the drive presses forward with its determination to withdraw 371 safer faculties officers (SSOs) from their posts, ranging from subsequent month.
One pupil expressed fears that “there can be extra knives” and “medicine coming into faculty with no one to truly cease it” if the plans to switch SSOs into neighbourhood policing groups goes forward.
Scotland Yard has written to headteachers saying the choice was “not made flippantly”, after warning it had been compelled into “robust decisions” amid a £260m funds shortfall, which is anticipated to end in 1,700 layoffs.
The drive argued that, of their new posts, the transferred officers “will retain robust relationships with faculties to make sure that any stories of knife crime may be handled rapidly”.
Arguing that the “main danger” to younger folks “exists outdoors the varsity grounds, for instance, within the journey hall between faculty and residential,” the drive added: “That’s the reason we’re altering our strategy to make sure our efforts are targeted on the broader group.”
However in a joint letter, seen by The Unbiased, 15 headteachers from faculties in northeast London have warned the Met that, “with out the help of safer faculty officers, weak college students could develop into prey to exploitation and, in flip, perpetrators of crime”.
The headteachers warned that such officers “play a important position in guaranteeing the protection and well-being of scholars”, including: “They’re extremely efficient at addressing potential issues earlier than they spiral uncontrolled.”
Knife crime rose 18 per cent in London to hit a report excessive of 16,521 offences throughout the 12 months to September 2024, based on the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics.
Figures obtained by The Unbiased final 12 months confirmed that police acquired 37 stories of assaults involving blades or sharp devices throughout time period time in London faculties in 2023, and 173 relating to incidents of weapon possession, which may additionally embrace damaged glass.
SSOs had been first launched to colleges in 2009 and – by 2023 – there had been near 1,000 working throughout the UK, information obtained by the Runnymede Belief confirmed – with the charity warning on the time of a “deeply regarding” and “normalised” police presence.
Pointing to the Baby Q scandal, during which a Black schoolgirl was strip-searched by police whereas on her interval and with out one other grownup current, after being wrongly suspected of carrying hashish, the charity criticised “the extremely racialised and damaging impression extreme drive can have inside a faculty setting”, and known as for the elimination of SSOs.
However with such a transfer now set to occur en masse in London, Chris Corridor, headteacher of Footsteps Belief in Haringey, informed Sky Information that SSOs had been “very, very, useful belongings” who had helped familiarise “younger folks with the police in probably the most optimistic means”.
One 14-year-old pupil on the Footsteps Belief informed the broadcaster that “if something occurs outdoors of faculty you’ll be able to inform them [SSOs] and allow them to know”, warning: “There can be extra knives. There can be preventing, there can be medicine coming into faculty and nobody can be there to truly cease it.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson informed the Night Customary: “Youngsters ought to have the ability to journey to and from faculty and research with out the worry of violence.
“That is the place we all know younger individuals are most liable to violence and gangs, and it’s the place our officers will proceed to be, guaranteeing that they’re able to rapidly reply to any incidents or considerations in the neighborhood.
“Though officers will not be primarily based in faculties, they may be part of native policing groups the place they may retain robust relationships with faculties to make sure that any stories of knife crime may be handled rapidly.
“Officers will even work with native organisations and different youth primarily based institutions to safeguard younger folks, stop victimisation and scale back crime and anti-social behaviour past faculties.”
