Richmond Council leader 'disappointed' to receive letter confirming date for Royal Parks Police unit disbandment later this year.

The Met Police informed Councillor Gareth Roberts yesterday (29 April) that by 1 November, the officers previously assigned to the parks unit would no longer be doing so.

"Incredibly disappointing to receive this letter confirming @MPSRoyal_Parks [Royal Parks Police] will be disbanded," said the Council leader via X.

"This is a dangerous & short-sighted move that will make Royal Parks visitors less safe. I'll be seeking urgent clarification about how these spaces will be policed going forward."

Despite the Mayor's Office allocating £151 million to the Met Police for the 2024–25 financial year, and the Home Office providing an additional £50 million, the Met says it still faces a £260 million funding gap.

Cllr Roberts (left) and Richmond Council have been calling for assurances on how the parks will be policed following the disbandment of the dedicated unit (credit: LBRUT/X).

Met Police Commander Owain Richards explained in his letter: "I am writing to you in my capacity as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) lead for Royal Parks to update you on the future of how the policing of Royal Parks across London will look going forward.

"As you may be aware, the Met has been placed in a position where it is having to make a number of tough choices, as we are facing a £260 million funding gap.

"This is not a position we want to be in and we know the impact this has on our dedicated officers and staff, the stakeholders we work with daily and the Londoners who make use of the Royal Parks.

"While we are very grateful for the additional funding we have received from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Home Office, we still have to reduce our size in terms of officers, staff and PCSOs, and therefore reduce some of our services.

"We have been working closely with The Royal Parks to understand their concerns and work with them to agree a sustainable and practical way forward on how the royal parks are policed.

"I would like to thank them for their support as we continue to navigate our budget challenges and tough choices.

"It is with regret that we have taken the tough decision to no longer have a dedicated Royal Parks policing team. The transition to our new model of policing the parks will be complete by 1 November 2025.

"However, whilst there will no longer be a dedicated policing team for the parks, i want to reassure you that the MPS will still undertake our core responsibilities - responding to emergency calls, which is non-negotiable, patrolling, supporting events and maintaining relationships with partners and stakeholders.

"However, this work will now be undertaken by the local neighbourhood teams - father than a dedicated unit - as is already the case for places like Clapham Common and Brockwell Park.

"To provide some detail on how this will happen, all Royal Parks will transition to be under the control of local Basic Command Units (BCUs) by 1st November.

"Neighbourhood Policing Superintendents in these affected areas have been asked to lead on ensuring policing plans are in place for the Royal Parks in their area."

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