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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| London mayor gains powers over the Metropolitan Police | London mayor gains powers over the Metropolitan Police |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| London's mayor is now responsible for the Metropolitan Police's priorities and performance, as part of government plans for elected commissioners. | London's mayor is now responsible for the Metropolitan Police's priorities and performance, as part of government plans for elected commissioners. |
| The Metropolitan Police Authority was disbanded at midnight and replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC). | The Metropolitan Police Authority was disbanded at midnight and replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC). |
| MOPC will be monitored by the London Assembly's Police and Crime Panel. | MOPC will be monitored by the London Assembly's Police and Crime Panel. |
| Operational matters will still be the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police commissioner. | |
| The mayor will also set the annual force budget for the Metropolitan Police in consultation with the commissioner. | The mayor will also set the annual force budget for the Metropolitan Police in consultation with the commissioner. |
| But the mayor does not have the power to appoint or dismiss the commissioner, or the deputy commissioner. | But the mayor does not have the power to appoint or dismiss the commissioner, or the deputy commissioner. |
| Safe city | Safe city |
| Mayor Boris Johnson said his priorities will include serious youth violence, knife crime, getting more officers on the streets, tackling gangs, robbery, burglary and cutting reoffending rates. | Mayor Boris Johnson said his priorities will include serious youth violence, knife crime, getting more officers on the streets, tackling gangs, robbery, burglary and cutting reoffending rates. |
| He said: "Londoners rightly expect to live in a safe city and I'll now be keeping an even closer eye on every aspect of policing, ensuring more than ever that the crimes that most concern Londoners are addressed." | He said: "Londoners rightly expect to live in a safe city and I'll now be keeping an even closer eye on every aspect of policing, ensuring more than ever that the crimes that most concern Londoners are addressed." |
| The change is part of the police reform and social responsibility bill which aims to give people a say in how they are policed. | The change is part of the police reform and social responsibility bill which aims to give people a say in how they are policed. |
| Labour's Ken Livingstone, who is standing against Mr Johnson in May's mayoral election, used the opportunity to again claim that police numbers were falling. | |
| He said: "The mayor's own policing documents show the overall number of police officers is set to fall even further by 2014. | |
| "Londoners want the mayor to use the new responsibilities to put more police officers on the streets to make our streets safer rather than cutting them." | |
| Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Paddick said Mr Johnson's claim that he will keep a closer eye on policing is "laughable". | |
| He added: "I have more than 30 years experience of reducing crime, focusing officers' efforts on what local people want and making sure it was done fairly. | |
| "Crime is what Londoners are most concerned about and no other candidate is better qualified to be Mayor of London, now controlling the police goes with the job." | |
| Green candidate Jenny Jones is yet to comment. | |
| London is the first police body to launch as it already has a directly elected mayor. The rest of the country will follow in November 2012 after local elections are held. | London is the first police body to launch as it already has a directly elected mayor. The rest of the country will follow in November 2012 after local elections are held. |