The mayor made tackling youth violence and knife crime a key priority. But according to figures released this week by the Metropolitan Police, the number of knife victims aged under 20 has jumped 23 per cent since he was elected. Serious youth violence, which the Mayor has repeatedly claimed is falling, is also up.
The Mayor claims he has "eased the burden on households.” But his fares policies are costing residents in the City of <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>Westminster</place></city> hundreds of pounds a year more than in 2008.
The Mayor claims there are 31 more police officers in <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>Westminster</place></city>. But official Met figures show he has cut the number of officers by 178 in the last two years.
Londonwide Assembly Member Murad said: “Boris Johnson needs to be honest about what is happening in <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city> and the fact is the number of young victims of knife crime has gone up every year since he was elected. It’s just the latest in a whole host of broken Boris promises.”
“To add insult to injury, the Mayor has been making a big fuss about not taking more from Londoners in council tax, then he pretends that the eye watering fare rises he has authorised don’t matter.”
On his re-election website Boris Johnson has made claims that do not stack up:
Police Numbers
The mayor’s re-election website claims there are 31 more police officers in <city w:st=”on”>Westminster</city> and almost 1,000 more police officers in <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city>’s boroughs
· But official Met figures show there are 96 fewer officers in <city w:st=”on”>Westminster</city> and only 19 more officers across <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city> today than when Boris was elected.
· In the last two years <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city> has lost almost 1,500 borough-based officers
The mayor’s re-election website claims there are 6 more police community support officers (PCSOs) in <city w:st=”on”>Westminster</city> and 362 more PCSOs in <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city> than when he was elected
· But, according to official Met figures there are 106 fewer in <city w:st=”on”>Westminster</city> and 149 fewer PCSOs across <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>London</place></city> than when Boris was elected.
· In the last two years <city w:st=”on”>London</city> has lost 921 PCSOs including 145 from <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>Westminster</place></city>.
Crime
The mayor’s re-election website celebrates a fall in overall crime
· But according to new Met figures the number of young victims of knife crime is up 23 per cent
· Crime has flatlined ““ only falling by 4% compared to a 12% cut under Ken Livingstone
In <city w:st=”on”><place w:st=”on”>Westminster</place></city>, burglary, gun crime and homophobic crime have all gone up in the last year and robbery against the person has gone up by 24.7% .
Fare rises
The mayor’s re-election website says he has “eased the burden on households”
· But anyone who uses public transport is now paying between £200 and £300 more a year in fares than they were in 2008 ““ around one hundred times more than the £3.10 saving from his council tax cut.