Dear Assistant Commissioner,

Wildlife Crime Unit

I am writing to express my concern that the Metropolitan Police Service is planning to reduce its funding in the near future for the Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU). The unit's work is extremely important not just for combating wildlife crime in London but also tackling the illegal international trade in endangered species, and I urge you to continue funding for the full unit.

As you may be aware, the unit has seized over 30,000 illegal endangered species products over the last ten years and has successfully helped bring prosecutions against those trading in these items. Tackling demand for these illegal products in London is crucial as it is consumer demand that ultimately encourages and drives poachers to kill endangered species and we have an obligation to prevent this. London is a key part of the illegal global trade in endangered species and reducing capacity in the city would undermine enforcement efforts not just here but in other countries.

By reducing public funding for the WCU, the unit's ability to raise awareness and to educate people to the problem will diminish. In addition, training of enforcement officers would suffer and the issue would be seen as a low priority by borough police offices. The resultant decrease in enforcement action would allow wildlife crime to expand.

The WCU has been a successful tool against the illegal trade in endangered species of which London and the country at large should be proud and I urge you to reconsider reducing public funding for it.

Yours…