Borough Commander Andy Carter

A POLICE budget cut by a third since 2010, an epidemic of anti-social behaviour and a deep-rooted sense of distrust were cited as the challenges the Met Police needs to tackle to improve performance.

It is the assessment facing Islington’s most senior officer, Borough Commander Andy Carter, as the force looks to implement the New Met for London report.

The document, using 10,000 interviews with Londoners, groups, associations and other public authorities, offers a framework to the future of the Met – and in an interview with the Tribune Chief Superintendent Carter said it shows the scale of the work he and his colleagues face.

He said: “There were lots of contributing factors to our performance and this is a plan of action to put us in a better place than we have been for many years.”

The report lays out problems the Met faces. Its budget has fallen in real terms by a third since 2010, while pay for police staff has fallen by nearly 20 per cent since 2010, adding issues over recruitment and retention.

The New Met for London report is meant to have set the police on a course to meet three main aims: community crime-fighting, culture change and fixing the foundations of the service.

Ch Supt Carter, who has been in the force for 31 years and took on the role of Islington and Camden borough commander in 2021, said his own colleagues locally had highlighted the areas that needed extra attention.

This included, he said, addressing the issues of drugs, anti-social behaviour and related crimes in and around Finsbury Park.

He said: “This report anchors our efforts each day and refreshes the rights of the public and policing by consent.”

The findings in terms of public trust meant restoring confidence was vital, added Insp Carter.

He said: “The issues that have happened have affected the trust of the public. It has been damaging. The plan of action talks about addressing how we are set up and how we organise ourselves. We need to consider standards of behaviour.”

The report includes a plan to change the culture. Ch Supt Carter said: “It emphasises our values and looks not just at what we do, but how we do it. My reflections are that we have not been organised or always deliver a good service.”

Recent crime figures show mixed trends. Over the last 18 months, there has been a fall in burglary, robbery and injuries caused by violence, but other crimes have ballooned.

Inspector Jack Rowlands has taken a lead on highlighting trouble spots and sending in teams to counter crime. He said: “One of our challenges is how crimes affect people’s feeling of safety – theft, car crime, and burglary are prevalent. They can be sophisticated and spontaneous, which makes it harder to prevent and detect.”

Insp Rowlands added officers on the ground knew the hotspots.

He added: “We have a dedicated sergeant in King’s Cross – something we have not had for many years – and are focusing on Finsbury Park.”

A recent 11-month operation led to the arrests of drug suppliers higher up the chain and Ch Supt Carter vowed more was to come.

He said: “There has been a problem with displacement. This means taking out the drug dealers at the higher level.”

One area of interest is the York Way neighbourhood as officers believe since the redevelopment of King’s Cross, drug issues have been pushed north and south. They have put in extra monitoring of areas such as Market Road and Agar Grove.