In response to Rob Yeldham's letter (Tory hypocrisy just goes on and on. November 14) I feel compelled to write and set the record straight.

Conservative councillors called on the Met Police Authority to provide a level of service in Bromley comparable to council tax payers contribu-tions. In 1997, the last year of Conservative Government, London council tax precept for policing was £182m, in 2001 it was £325m. Police num-bers in London in 1992 were approximately 28,500 but had dipped to some 25,200 by 2000; it is now that numbers are rising thanks to a massive recruitment campaign by the Met, and money for policing in the GLA budget which was agreed cross-party. However some £143m extra for a hand-ful more officers is not a fair deal for London Boroughs like Bromley. It is estimated that residents are paying 17% more for policing this year and yet they are not receiving adequate policing for that: I have numerous letters form residents each week complaining of unanswered telephone calls, inability to respond to disturbances, and rising crime levels. These letters haven't just been arriving since September but for many months now.

I fully appreciate that, as a world city, central London has required extra policing since the appalling attack on New York. As the original Con-servative motion points out, this should be funded through central government and not London council tax payers.

Tory Councillors are making a concerted effort to ensure that Bromley police are working for residents. Everyone agrees that being a police is not an easy job and I admire our officers courage and determination to keep Bromley safe. The issue in question is how the force is funded, resourced and managed. If this means taking some tough decisions, then I wholeheartedly support Conservative Councillors in their action.

Robert Neill

GLA

December 5, 2001 13:22