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REVIEW: The Met

KNIFE CRIME is hitting today’s news headlines with calls for more policing after the fatal stabbing of two teenagers over the weekend - Jodie Chesney, 17, who was stabbed to death in a park in east London and Yousef Ghaleb Makki, 17 , who died in Manchester.

As the knife crime epidemic reaches new heights, retired senior police officer Kevin Moore has started a petition calling on the Home Secretary to hold a Royal Commission that would investigate how to protect the public and officers, and look at how the police can be properly funded to tackle crime.

Moore, who worked in the force for over 39 years, says he “cares deeply about protecting our communities and the state of policing” and adds that it’s “heartbreaking” to see the cuts being made.

“In this country we’ve lost 25,000 police officers since 2010. And the effects are clear to see - with over 91% of crimes taking place without anyone getting charged, says Moore.

“At the same time, cuts to other services like health care mean that colleagues in the force are dealing with more than ever before - like people with mental health problems that should be in the care of the NHS. It feels now like policing is in crisis with hundreds of officers leaving well before retirement. Without urgent change, it will only get worse and put us all a risk.

“That’s why I’m calling for the Home Secretary to hold a Royal Commission. This is a 'root and branch' review of the entire police system, as well as concrete steps forward about what changes need to be made and how it will be properly funded.”

Moore is not the only retired officer who thinks this needs to happen - he is one of a group of 180 who are leading this campaign called “Retired Officers Who Care”.

He claims this will be the first review of its kind since 1960.

“The British public have a right to a police force which has the funding it needs to keeps us all safe and secure.”

The petition has so far received over 269,000 signatures, and is available to sign here

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