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Crime (London)

I agree, and my own borough is in the same position. The Opposition motion states:"““That this House supports the dedication of police officers in the City of London Police, the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police””," which we all do. However, there is a fine line when politicians play foolish and bogus statistical games, which, by the bye, is to treat Londoners as idiots. There is also a fine line on traducing the work of not only every single policeman and woman who is out on the beat in our capital city, but every council of whatever hue working through crime and disorder reduction partnerships to secure those figures. Does that mean complacency? No, of course it does not. Does it mean that there is not a whole lot more to do in a range of areas, which I shall discuss later? Of course it does not. Let us get serious about London. I do not blame the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley), who is from Suffolk and who could not care less about London. However, London Members should be serious, because it does not do London justice to play around with bogus figures.