Southwark Council has cut the number of community wardens in the borough by 74 per cent since 2010, it has emerged – after the council announced a new £2m investment in a ‘community warden taskforce’ last week.
Internal council figures show that Southwark had 73 uniformed officers in the 2010/2011 financial year, when Labour gained control of the council. The number of wardens fell to 37 the next financial year, dropping steadily over the years until the figure reached nineteen in 2018/2019, where it remains now.
The new figures emerge after Labour announced a £529,000 investment each year over the next four years in a ‘community warden taskforce’, as we reported last week – with the aim of tackling anti-social behaviour in ‘hotspots’ that officers have identified around the borough.
It is unclear how many new wardens will be in the taskforce.
Labour blamed the cuts on the reductions in local government funding from central government since 2010, when the Conservatives were in power in Westminster with the Lib Dems.
Cllr Merrill, Southwark’s cabinet member for a safer, cleaner borough, said: “The council has had to make difficult decisions due to the cut in local government funding set in motion with the deepest cuts happening when the Liberal Democrats were in coalition with the Conservatives.
“With a two thirds cut in real terms to government funding it is only due to Labour’s excellent management of the council’s finances that we are able to allocate money towards the taskforce”.