Police in London will gain £234 million in funding to tackle violent crime in the capital. The new money includes £119m from an expected £2.5bn in increases in business rates over the next two years.
In December, the mayor Sadiq Khan announced he would raise council tax by the maximum 9% to help fund policing, this will raise £85 million.
There was 132 murders in London last year, this is the highest number since 2008.
Mr Khan said: “Keeping Londoners safe is my number-one priority and I am determined to do everything in my power to support the Met Police and tackle the complex causes of crime. The Government has forced the Met to make £850 million of cuts, resulting in officer numbers dropping to a dangerous 15-year low of less than 30,000.
“Despite warm words from ministers, they have repeatedly refused to reverse the huge cuts imposed on the Met and have instead shifted the burden of police funding on to the council tax payer, which we know hits the poorest hardest.
“The Government has clearly abdicated its responsibility to keep Londoners safe, leaving me to take the difficult decision to raise council tax and divert business rates for a second year in a row to invest in the police and our long-term public health approach.”
Since 2010, central government funding to police forces across England and Wales has been cut by almost a third. Last year Mr Khan pledged to hire an extra 1,000 police officers at an estimated cost of £59m.
The funding will not come into effect until 2019-20, £20.4m for schemes to tackle violent crime and the new Violence Reduction Unit will be given £6.8m.
The mayor’s said the 2019-20 budget is due to be confirmed at a London Assembly meeting on 25 February.
