Dear Home Secretary,

The National Government is responsible for funding the police. Along with other key public service like the NHS, police funding has been cut to the bone in the last few years in the name of austerity. The Met police has seen cuts of over £600m since 2010, around 40%.

Crime is on the increase in Barking & Dagenham for the first time in years. The Met Police’s own date shows that serious youth violence increased by 9.2% and burglary increased by 28% in the borough. It is vital that we focus our resources on these issues as a matter of high priority.

Dagenham Police Station was saved at the last minute from closure thanks to the local council stepping in to offer an alternative solution. However, now Barking Police Station is under threat and on top of this, we do not have enough police officers patrolling our street or investigating crime.

At a time when crime is increasing, we need a visible policing presence which gives our residents confidence and keeps our community safe.

We the residents of Barking and Dagenham, the Labour Councillors and Labour MP’s demand that you and your government reverse funding cuts that have been experienced by the police and provide Barking & Dagenham with the resources the police need to do their job.

Please fill in your details below if you would like to support our campaign ‘stop the cuts’ to Barking and Dagenham Police.