The head of the Metropolitan Police today demanded Keir Starmer give him the money for a major surge in police numbers to protect London‘s Jews from anti-Semitic terror attacks.
Sir Mark Rowley said he wanted up to 300 more officers, including firearms-trained units, to protect the community in the wake of the Golders Green attack.
The commissioner said he is ‘very concerned’ about the sustainability of the police’s current approach to protecting Jewish communities in London following Wednesday’s double stabbing.
Currently it drafts in officers from across London rather than having a large dedicated force in areas with larger Jewish communities.
Speaking to broadcast media today he warned there was a ‘pandemic of anti-Semitism’ in Britain in the wake of the war in Gaza and the Israeli/US war with Iran.
And he admitted he was ‘concerned’ about the scale of upcoming protests in the capital planned for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Last night the UK terrorism threat level was raised to ‘severe’ in the wake of the stabbings, meaning a terror attack is ‘highly likely’.
Sir Mark told Times Radio this morning: ‘Obviously, the horrific attack took place on Wednesday. That evening, I put a proposal into Government about what it would take to be able to sustain this with a dedicated, enhanced neighbourhood policing presence focused on Jewish communities and some extra specialist resources, such as more firearms officers to support them, (the) best part of 300 extra officers that we’re looking at, and I hope we get some resolution on the funding conversations with the Government imminently.
‘It’s good they’ve made some interim funding announcements, but to be able to recruit and sustain that, I need some urgent updates.’
Sir Mark Rowley said he wanted up to 300 more officers, including firearms-trained units, to protect the community in the wake of the Golders Green attack
The commissioner said he is ‘very concerned’ about the sustainability of the police’s current approach to protecting Jewish communities in London following Wednesday’s double stabbing.
Sir Keir was yesterday branded a ‘coward’ and a ‘traitor’ as he ducked a showdown with angry locals.
The Prime Minister was booed as his convoy was whisked through the crowds for a closed-door meeting nearly a mile from where Wednesday’s stabbings unfolded.
Last night he refused to rule out sending the British Army into north London to help keep order.
Asked about the possibility of sending in troops he told the Jewish News: ‘That sense of emergency is there.’
A Home Office minister said she agreed with the Metropolitan Police commissioner that there was a growing ‘pandemic’ of anti-Semitism in the UK.
But Alex Davies-Jones, the victims’ minister, declined to say when the Metropolitan Police would receive a response on its request for funding for 300 additional officers.
Asked repeatedly when the force would receive an answer, she did not provide a time, referring to existing plans to increase policing numbers across the country.
She added: ‘Discussions will be ongoing with the Home Secretary (Shabana Mahmood) and I know that she is taking this extremely seriously.
‘She was in Golders Green this week, she’s working with Sir Mark Rowley and she hears his calls for more officers, as she does across England and Wales.
‘It’s important that we get it right and we get the effective resourcing where we need it.’