Police station front counters to be closed to cut costs
Nearly half of police station front counters throughout London are set to be closed to save money, the Metropolitan Police Service has revealed. The force hopes to reduce the amount of front counters where the public can speak with officers, from 37 to 20, and reduce the amount of them open 24 hours a day down to just 8.
This was a “difficult choice,” Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told the London Assembly, but said that it would save £7 million annually. The plans could begin by the end of this year and are part of plans to make £260 million in savings by reducing services and 1,700 officer and staff roles.
The plan however, would “break a pledge from both the mayor and The Met to have a counter staffed 24/7 in each of the capital’s 32 boroughs,” the BBC says.
Police station front counters began closing in 2013. At the time, London had almost 140 but then mayor Boris Johnson closed 65. In 2017, Sir Sadiq Khan closed an additional 38. These left most boroughs with only one open 24 hours a day.
This would make Londoners less safe, Shadow home secretary Chris Philip said.
“With a £260m black hole in our budget, it’s inevitable that some of the choices we’re having to make will change the way we police London and will be unpopular with some people,” Twist told the London Assembly. “We need to make difficult choices and prioritise.
“This essentially comes down to us having to choose between keeping officers on London’s streets, where they can respond to the public, or retaining the current position on all front counters, which may be a symbolic point of access but are largely underutilised, especially overnight.”
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
