Parents have been left reeling over a decision to remove almost 400 specialist police officers from London secondary schools as a result of budget cuts.

This week it was reported that education leaders have asked the Metropolitan Police to reconsider the plan, which would involve transferring 371 safer schools officers into neighbourhood policing teams.

In a letter to the police force, seen by HuffPost UK, Sam Jones, chair of The Waltham Forest Secondary Heads group, shared his “grave concern”.

He described the move as “a significant step backward” and is worried the removal of these officers from schools will mean “vulnerable students may become prey to exploitation and, in turn, perpetrators of crime”.

Jones also told Sky News: “We think that it will increase violence, potentially increase bullying and weapons-related incidents.”

Parents are also worried the move could be ‘catastrophic’

Carolyn Owlett has a 13-year-old who goes to school in Hackney and said she thinks it’s a “terrible decision” to take police officers out of schools.

“We have a safer schools officer and I think he’s been extremely busy dealing with issues inside the school, and outside, after school kicks out,” she told HuffPost UK. “Knife crime is rife in our area.

“All the children have access to knives because they order them from internet sites ... Because they go through a letter box, they do not need to be signed for. It’s too easy to access them.”

Knife crime has been rising over the years – particularly in London. The number of sharp instrument offences recorded by police in the capital rose to just over 15,000 in 2023-24, compared with 12,786 in the previous year.

Owlett told HuffPost UK that parents are having to work “harder than ever in the economic climate just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the........

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