Met to axe road policing division amid major cuts

The Met Police is exploring proposals to axe its roads policing unit and share the team's responsibilities across other departments in a cost-cutting exercise.The proposed move has led to a wide backlash from road experts and politicians amid fears it could ramp up crime on the capital’s roads, making them even more unsafe for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.The roads policing unit is primarily known for investigating road traffic collisions, but it also works alongside other teams to detect and prevents crimes on London’s streets, The Telegraph reports.The unit is widely regarded as the UK’s first line of defence in areas such as county lines drug dealing, as criminals attempt to smuggle contraband through the capital.One source said: “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.“Having specialist teams that know their patch inside out is vital in policing. It is as important as having neighbourhood officers embedded in the community.“Traffic cops have a lot of know-how that goes way beyond pulling people over for speeding or drinking and driving. They have a nose for the criminality on the roads and getting rid of them can only be a backwards step.”The Alliance of British Drivers, a pressure group dedicated to preserving the interests of motorists, stated the main problem was "we have abrogated road safety to cameras" and called for more traffic patrols, not fewer.Susan Hall, Conservative leader in the London Assembly, described the plan as "shocking", adding: “I am very concerned about this. We are losing specialists across the Met. While the Mayor swans off to the House of Lords, the Met is so strapped for cash we are losing vital parts of the police service."Former senior roads commissioner Beverley Bell also hit out at the plans, saying they would lead to greater criminality.Read MoreCurrently, over 1,500 traffic officers are deployed across Greater London's 12,000-mile road network. The capital saw 20,000 road collisions last year, with 96 deaths recorded and 3,900 serious injuries.A Met Police spokesman said: “We are looking at how the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) can continue to deliver on the priorities that matter most to Londoners.“While some of the changes are necessary to contribute to the significant financial savings the Met must make, others are motivated by a need for improvements to the service we provide to the public, including victims and their loved ones.“The specific details of any changes are still being considered and will be communicated to officers, staff and key partners in due course.”