Met Police axing 9,000 cases per month as budget cuts bite
Britain's biggest police force have seen their number of active probes plummet since introducing radical cost-cutting measures
THE UK’s biggest police force has been accused of giving up on crime after axing more than 9,000 cases a month.
Met Police probes have plummeted since September’s cost-cutting measures.
In the three months to December, there were 37,370 fewer cases investigated than the same period in 2016.
That is despite a 7.5 per cent rise in recorded offences.
Stats obtained under the Freedom of Information show crimes worthy of investigation fell from 69 to 51 per cent. Only 33 per cent of burglaries were marked for secondary investigation, down from 51 per cent a year earlier.
Robberies rose by 40 per cent, with 58 per cent followed up compared with 87 per cent in 2016.
Ex Met DCI Mick Neville said: “Police are waving the white flag at crimes. There is little doubt other forces will follow.”
We told last year how Met probes with no identifiable suspect will be ditched unless it is murder, rape or a child sex offence.
Met deputy Mark Simmons said it was forced to “balance the books with fewer officers and less money”.
The Met said burglaries would be investigated further if forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints emerged.