The Metropolitan Police said the move would save £7 million and 3,752 hours of police officer time a month.
Sadiq Khan has been accused of breaking a manifesto promise. (Image: Getty)
Sadiq Khan has been accused of breaking an election promise as police stations across London once again cut services. The Mayor of London’s manifesto for last year’s election pledged to “ensure the Met is able to effectively respond to the public, including maintaining a 24-hour police front office counter in every borough”. However, the Metropolitan Police announced that the number of 24-hour police stations in England’s capital will be slashed to just eight.
Overall, there will be 20 front counters where the public can speak to officers – down from 37. In 2017, there were nearly 75 front counters available to the public, but Mr Khan closed 38, leaving almost all boroughs with only one open 24/7. The Met’s latest cost-cutting plans come amid what Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist called a £260 million “black hole” in its budget.
The Met Police faces a £260 million ‘black hole’ in its budget. (Image: Getty)
Despite the desperate need for cash, the closures are only expected to save £7 million.
Mr Twist told the London Assembly: “This essentially comes down to us having to choose between keeping officers on London streets where they can respond to the public and local communities, or, in the case that we are discussing today, retaining the current position on all front counters.
He said fewer and fewer people are using front counters in police stations, “especially overnight”. Since 2012, when 12% of reported crime came via station offices, the number has dropped to 5% as people opt to phone in or go online.
The closures are: Kentish Town in Camden, Tottenham in Haringey, Edmonton in Enfield, Harrow, Bethnal Green in Tower Hamlets, Dagenham, Chingford in Waltham Forest, Kensington, Hammersmith, Twickenham in Richmond, Lavender Hill in Wandsworth, Wimbledon in Merton, Hayes in Hillingdon, and Plumstead in Greenwich.
Four more already with reduced front desks will close in Barking Learning Centre, Church Street in Westminster, Royalty Studios in Kensington and Chelsea, and Mitcham in Merton.
Anger over the closures has been mounting after deputy Mayor of Police and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, was forced to admit she knew about the plans but did nothing to stop them.
During a previous London Assembly committee meeting, she appeared not to know how many counters would be axed.
However, during Wednesday’s emergency meeting, she was grilled by Conservative leader Susan Hall and revealed she knew about the proposals in June or July.
Ms Hall branded Mr Khan a “coward” for not attending the urgent meeting to discuss the proposals. She questioned: “Since the mayor is making this decision why isn’t he here?”
The Met said the move would save 3,752 hours of police officer time a month, allowing it to focus resources on “tackling crime and putting more officers into neighbourhoods across London”.
Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor and I than keeping Londoners safe and we are determined to continue doing all we can to support Sir Mark Rowley deliver a New Met for London, putting neighbourhood policing at the heart of communities.
“The proposed changes to police counters are an operational decision for the Met – based on resources, funding and public demand for services.
“After over a decade of cuts worth over a billion under the previous government, the Met is facing an extremely difficult financial situation.
“The Mayor and I are working closely with the Met to boost visible neighbourhood policing in our communities and are having ongoing discussions with Ministers and the Commissioner about the funding the Met needs to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone.”
