Public Access Strategy

The MOPAC/MPS Public Access Strategy confirms plans to reduce the number of police front counters in London and save an additional £8 million – equivalent to the cost of 140 police constables – in order to protect and support frontline policing as much as possible, and keep Londoners safe, in the face of Government cuts to police funding.

• Read the MOPAC/MPS Public Access Strategy
• Read the Equality Impact Assessment for the Strategy

Why are these changes happening?

Since 2010, the Met’s budget has been reduced by £600 million. A further £400 million of savings have to be found by 2021 and unless the Government’s funding cuts stop now, officer numbers could fall below 27,500 by 2021 – the lowest number in nearly 20 years. This has meant that the Mayor has had to consult on drastic changes in order to protect the front line as far as is possible.

Just eight per cent of crimes were reported at police front counters in 2016, down from 22 per cent in 2006, and this number continues to fall. Every pound that is spent keeping a police station open is a pound that would otherwise need to be found from further cuts to police officer numbers.

The Mayor understands the real concerns of some Londoners about these closures, which is why he held a consultation including an online survey and public meetings in every London borough. Around 4,000 Londoners gave their views, and their contributions have been carefully considered. In some boroughs, the plans have been changed as a result, with 24/7 front counters remaining at Dagenham Police Station and Bexleyheath Police Station, and Ruislip Police Station being retained.

What is going to happen?

Key policies in the Strategy include:

• Whilst some stations will close, a 24/7 police front counter service will be maintained in every borough, with an additional daytime counter in Westminster and proposals for an additional temporary front counter near Grenfell Tower.
• Dedicated Ward Officers – whose numbers the Mayor is doubling by the end of this year - will be based at new hubs far closer to their local ward and the community they patrol, ensuring they spend as much time as possible on their beat.
• Better ways to contact the Met online - a new online reporting service launched for testing in March and which has already delivered a 350 per cent rise in online reporting, with 1,200 reports a week made during its initial phase.

The Mayor and the Met Commissioner are confident that these final plans maintain the best possible service for Londoners, and will provide the access to the police they need, especially in an emergency. The Met is clear: the closing of a police station does not mean the withdrawal of policing from a community. It does mean the maximum possible support for frontline police officer numbers.

The table below shows which police stations are to close and which are to be kept.