I’m so sorry to tell you all that despite vigorous campaigning the decision has now been made to close the dedicated police force in our Royal Parks.

The letter from Commander Owain Richards is below together with the response from Andrew Scattergood, CE of the Royal Parks.

Thank you to you all who wrote and lobbied all our potential influential friends from ward councillors to MP’s and ministers as well as the London Mayor. Richmond Park Friends group did especially well getting coverage in the TV London news.

The police horses, stabled in the middle of Hyde Park are also being closed down. London will lose one of its very special features.

However there was no rolling back on the decision.

We will keep you all informed as and when we have any more news.

Sue Price

THE LETTER FROM THE MET

I am writing to you in my capacity as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) lead for Royal Parks and as a frequent user of Royal Parks, I wanted to update you on the future of how the policing of Royal Parks across London will look going forward.

You may not be aware, but the Met has been placed in a position where it is having to make a number of tough choices, as we are facing a £260 million funding gap. This is not a position we want to be in and we know the impact this has on our dedicated officers and staff and the stakeholders we work with daily.

We have been working closely with The Royal Parks (TRP) to understand their concerns and work with them to agree a sustainable and practical way forward on how the Royal Parks are policed. I would like to thank them for their support as we continue to navigate our budget challenges and tough choices.

It is with regret that we have taken the tough decision to no longer have a dedicated Royal Parks policing team. The transition to our new model of policing the parks will be complete by 1 November 2025. However, whilst there will no longer be a dedicated policing team for the parks, I want to reassure you that the MPS will still undertake our core responsibilities – responding to emergency calls, which is non-negotiable, patrolling, supporting events and maintaining relationships with partners and stakeholders. However, this work will now be undertaken by the local neighbourhood teams – rather than a dedicated unit – as is already the case for places like Clapham Common and Brockwell Park.

By taking this decision, it does provide an opportunity to build on existing relationships, with the integration of the Royal Parks policing unit into supporting local policing. This includes helping to support the efforts to tackle community crime within every Borough, whilst ensuring we retain the experience on how BCU policing teams understand the unique requirements of parks policing.

I appreciate this will come as disappointing news. It is not a decision we wanted to take, and it is unfortunate that due to the tough choices we are having to make as an organisation that we have been forced into this position. However, I want to reassure you that all royal parks across London will continue to be policed to ensure they are safe environments for people to use.

Yours faithfully,
Commander Owain Richards Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard Victoria Embankment
London SW1A 2JL

THE ROYAL PARKS’ RESPONSE

A Royal Parks’ spokesperson said: “As the charity responsible for managing and maintaining London’s most historic green spaces, we are disappointed with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) decision to close its dedicated Royal Parks police unit.

“The Royal Parks MPS unit and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London for over 150 years. We are deeply grateful to those police colleagues who have been so committed in their work to protect our amazing green spaces and ensure the safety, security and welfare of the millions of visitors to the parks.

“We are awaiting full details from the MPS on how this decision will impact their policing of the parks going forward. The Royal Parks Regulations can only be enforced by the MPS. The safety and wellbeing of everyone who uses the Royal Parks is our top priority, and we want to reassure the public that we are working closely with the police over the next six months to ensure a plan is put in place to maintain public safety once the unit is fully disbanded.”

Sue Price
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
www.friendshpkg.org.uk

Photograph: Sue Price
Design and layout: Lynden Easton