Sadiq Khan has been criticized for taking millions of pounds extra from his police budget to hire more editors, while failing to reduce violent crime.
New figures show the number of back office staff working on finance, research and local projects has almost doubled under the Labor mayor.
Just before he came to power in 2016, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) had 113 members, costing taxpayers £7.8 million a year.
But new figures seen by the Mail reveal that by the end of March 2023, the payroll had risen to 205 staff, at a cost of £17.5 million.
Yet crime has skyrocketed in the capital during the same period.
Sadiq Khan has been criticized for taking millions of pounds extra from his police budget to hire more editors, while failing to reduce violent crime.
Susan Hall, the Conservative mayoral candidate in next month’s election, said crime had soared in London.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recorded 738,501 offenses in total, including 185,675 of violence against the person, in the year to March 2016.
By March last year, the total number of offenses had risen by 19 per cent to 880,284, while personal violence was 30 per cent higher, at 240,924.
Last night Susan Hall, Mr Khan’s Conservative mayoral candidate in next month’s election, told the Mail: ‘Crime has gotten out of control under Sadiq Khan, and yet he is wasting millions of pounds which should serve to put more bobbies on the field. beat.
“I am listening to Londoners and as Mayor I will make our city safer. I will recruit 1,500 police officers, create two new bases in each borough and reinstate borough policing.
The highest paid employee at MOPAC – which oversees Scotland Yard and commissions local projects aimed at reducing crime and supporting victims – is chief executive Diana Luchford, whose salary was £159,697 in 2022 -2023.
Deputy mayor for policing and crime Sophie Linden received £135,797, while finance director Amana Humayun received £133,100.
New figures show the number of back office staff working on finance, research and local projects has almost doubled under the Labor mayor (stock image)
Julie Norgrove, director of audit, risk and assurance, received £123,412 while Kenny Bowie, director of strategy and oversight MPS, received £122,900, as did chief marketing officer in service and partnerships William Balakrishnan.
A staff structure diagram published by MOPAC shows that below its management team it has 20 people working in human resources, private offices and in secretarial roles; over 30 in Scotland Yard strategy, policy and oversight, 25 in audit, risk and assurance; as well as dozens of other commissioning programs run by charities and in research and analysis roles.
MOPAC’s £17.5m staff bill represents a significant proportion of its £59m operating costs, which come from the £4.2bn budget which also covers the Met itself .
Yet even as Mayor Khan oversaw the near doubling of MOPAC’s payroll, he was also criticized for not using additional government funds to send more officers to the front lines of the fight against crime .
He failed to meet recruitment targets and so had to hand back £60 million to the Home Office while leaving the Met 1,000 officers short.
A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “This mayoral election is a tight two-horse race between Sadiq investing in more police and youth clubs in London, or the far-right Conservative candidate who has backed £1bn cuts to the Met Police in fact. terms since 2010 and has backed £1bn of cuts to youth services across the county.
“The majority of additional staff are involved in the new Violence Reduction Unit established in 2019, which has carried out vital work supporting 150,000 young people over the past two years – providing youth workers, after-school support, mentoring, sports activities and support for parents.
“It also funds youth workers embedded in the capital’s main trauma and emergency centers, supporting the most vulnerable young people.
“Since 2018, MOPAC has also taken on vital new responsibilities in providing accommodation for survivors of domestic violence and improving the investigation and prosecution of rape cases.
“The mayor has invested record amounts in the fight against violence against women and girls. »
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