Just 37% of Londoners believe they have a visible local policing presence according a new City Hall poll which reveals widespread concerns about personal safety.
The poll asked 3,674 Londoners a range of questions about their perceptions and experiences of the capital, as well as their expectations for the economy and their personal finances.
Asked whether the police provides a “visible, reliable and responsive” presence in their local area, just 37% agreed, 29% were uncertain and a further 29% disagreed.
The findings are significantly lower than figures recently published in the Met’s Confidence Comparator which showed 53% of Londoners feel the force has a visible policing presence in their neighbourhood.
Commenting on the figures, Joanne McCartney, Labour’s London Assembly Policing Spokesperson said: “This latest survey shows that Londoners are clearly worried about the lack of visible police presence on their streets.
“With only a third of Londoners saying that police are visible and responsive it’s obvious Boris Johnson’s decision to cut neighbourhood police teams to the bone is having a significant effect on public confidence.
“The Mayor was consistently warned that this would be the outcome of his cuts be refused to listen to reason – now it is Londoners who are being left to deal with the consequences.”
Respondents to the City Hall poll also said they felt less safe when walking and travelling in the city at night.
While 91% said they felt safe walking alone in their local area during the day, just 61% said this was true during the evening.
When asked how safe they feel “walking alone in London as a whole,” 51% said they feel safe in the evening compared to 88% who feel safe during the day.
95% of respondents said they felt safe when using a bus during the day with the Tube scoring even higher with 97%. However the number saying this is true at night is substantially lower – 62% for bus users and 72% for the Tube.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Liberal Democrat London Assembly transport spokesperson, said: “It is really concerning that not all Londoners feel safe when travelling on buses or the tube, in particular at night.
“London should be a city where everyone feels safe when travelling at all times of the day. This is especially the case if London’s night-time economy is to flourish.
“With the Tube set to start running throughout the night at weekends it is vital that additional staff are put in place to help reassure passengers travelling at night.”