London’s roads could soon become more dangerous amid claims that Scotland Yard plans to abolish its specialist Roads and Transport Policing Command unit.
Reports suggest that the Metropolitan Police is considering scrapping the specialist unit due to serious financial pressures.
Under the proposed changes, the Roads and Transport Policing Command’s responsibilities would be divided between other departments within the force.
The unit currently investigates road collisions and plays an important role in tackling serious and organised crime by helping catch criminals who use London’s roads to transport drugs, weapons and other illegal goods.
The proposal has been strongly criticised by road safety experts, politicians and motoring groups.
A source inside the Metropolitan Police told The Telegraph: “This is a really backwards step. The officers who patrol our roads do a vital job in keeping us all safe. Whether you are a driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian, we all benefit from the work they do and from their years of experience.”
The source said that traffic officers have specialist knowledge that cannot simply be replaced by other police officers.
Beverley Bell, a former senior roads commissioner, described the plan as “foolhardy in the extreme” and warned that removing the specialist unit could lead to more crime.
The Roads and Transport Policing Command unit would be removed due to financial pressures
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SUSSEX POLICE/GETTYMs Bell, who served as senior roads commissioner between 2012 and 2017, said that vehicles and roads are often connected to serious crime.
She added that traffic officers often notice suspicious activity before other police officers across all offences.
The former Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain warned that the experience built up by traffic officers over many years could be lost if the specialist unit is abolished.
Hugh Bladon of the Alliance of British Drivers also attacked the proposal, calling it “monstrously stupid”, adding that cameras cannot replace officers.
Traffic police target speeding offences as well as drinking and driving rule breakers
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ESSEX POLICEHe suggested increasing the number of traffic patrols to “stop the criminal element from operating with impunity”.
Susan Hall, the Conservative leader of the London Assembly, also expressed concern about the possible loss of specialist officers.
“We are losing specialists across the Met,” she said. “The Met is so strapped for cash we are losing vital parts of the police service. It is shocking.”
More than 1,500 traffic officers currently patrol around 12,000 miles of roads across Greater London.
The Met Police said it was reviewing its processes
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GETTYLast year, more than 20,000 collisions were recorded across the capital, causing 96 deaths and around 3,900 serious injuries.
Although road deaths and serious injuries have fallen in recent years, critics have warned that abolishing the specialist unit could reverse this progress.
The Metropolitan Police said it was reviewing how the RTPC could continue to focus on the issues that matter most to Londoners, noting that final plans have not yet been decided.
The force said some changes were necessary to help make significant financial savings, while other changes were intended to improve services.