Scotland Yard is axing 1,700 police, staff and community support officers amid a £260 million budget shortfall, it was revealed on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police says it has been forced into “substantial tough choices” despite funding increases from central and local government.
Amid an epidemic of violent crime, mobile phone snatches and shoplifting across London, senior officers warn the “rapidly shrinking Met” must slash services.
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan announced a record £1.16 billion City Hall investment in the “chronically underfunded” force, claiming this will save 935 neighbourhood police roles.
He also vowed no cuts will be made to emergency response teams “which the public rely on at times of crisis”.
But Sir Sadiq confirmed scores in units protecting eight Royal Parks will be disbanded and merged into local ward policing - despite fierce opposition from councils and victims - as well as officers placed in schools.
An appendix to the budget report states of the Royal Parks decision: “There will be a significant reduction in visible policing within the parks and reduced local / specialist knowledge regarding events and legislation.”
The Dogs Unit and Mounted Branch are being slashed by seven per cent and 25 per cent respectively. MO7 Taskforce, which tackles moped and e-bike robbers alongside gang-related crime, is being reduced by 55 per cent.
Cold case investigations looking at crimes committed “many years or decades ago” will be cut by 11 per cent.
The axe is also falling on one fifth of the anti-robbery Flying Squad and it could lose its firearms capability to save money.
In December, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the Met might need to cut 2,300 officers and 400 staff from its 46,000-strong workforce.
But in a desperate attempt to balance the books, reduced opening hours at police front counters could leave only a few accessible 24 hours a day.
While most cuts are likely to go ahead, the force said it had been allocated an extra £32m that may see some of them scaled back.
A Met spokeswoman said: “We are very grateful for the additional funding we have received from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the Home Office.
“While this new funding decreases our original funding gap from £450m, it leaves us with a £260m shortfall and we will have to make substantial tough choices, reducing our size by over 1,700 officers, staff and PCSOs and therefore our services.
“This places an extraordinary stretch on our dedicated men and women.
“The Commissioner is incredibly grateful and humbled by what they achieve with increased demand and a rapidly shrinking Met.
“Over the coming months, we will be working with the Home Office, Mayor and MOPAC through the Spending Review to put the Met on a financial footing which enables a sustainable workforce plan.”
Sir Sadiq added: “The previous government chronically underfunded the Met, making cuts to policing in London that were in real terms equivalent to more than £1.1 billion.
“This has left the Met in an extremely difficult financial situation.
“As Mayor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to support the police.
“That’s why I’m announcing a record £1.16bn annual investment in the police from City Hall.
“This historic increase will protect neighbourhood policing in our communities and significantly reduce the level of cuts the Met had been planning.
“It will also mean the Met can continue to reform and build on the crime reductions we have achieved in the capital, with violence, knife crime involving young people and burglary all down.
“However, tough decisions have been made to protect neighbourhood policing and I’m under no illusions about the challenges ahead.
“As Mayor, I will continue to work with the new government and the Met - ahead of the forthcoming spending review - to ensure the Met gets the sustainable funding it needs to help us to build a safer London for everyone.”
