The front counter at Plumstead Police Station has been saved after the Royal Borough of Greenwich worked with residents and police to keep it open.
Following police funding cuts, it was proposed that a number of front counters in police stations across London would be closed. After consulting with London councils, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed that 27 front counters will remain open across London, including the one in Plumstead Police Station.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “We’re pleased with the outcome to keep the front open in Plumstead, thank you to the Mayor of London and the Met Police for coming to the right decision which puts residents first. We appreciate the strain the police are under at the moment, with difficult decisions that need to be taken to balance budgets but this is a great outcome for residents London-wide.”
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “After discussions with our police colleagues feeding back the concerns of our residents, we’re pleased and relieved with the outcome to save the front counter at Plumstead Police Station.
“It’s vital that our residents have an accessible direct point of contact with the police to maintain trust and support victims of crime. Police stations are often used as a safe haven for many and are often the first point of contact for some of the most vulnerable people in our borough – the decision to take this away would have severely impacted our community.”
The core opening hours for Plumstead Police Station will now be 10am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 7pm on weekends.
Overall 27 open counters will remain open across London with Lewisham and Charing Cross being the only two to have 24/7 service, due to them being the busiest sites.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said:
“The Met is having to shrink to live within its means and as the public would expect, we are targeting our resources on a narrower set of their priorities to make London safer.
“Londoners tell us they want more visible and responsive policing on the capital’s streets and that is exactly what we are going to deliver.
“But we have also listened to their views during an extensive engagement process and, while our funding gap means we must reduce provision, we will keep more front counters open across London.”
Despite the changes, this plan still delivers the same savings of £7 million as the Met continues to prioritise its resources on frontline policing, making tough choices to close a £260 million funding gap.
The new model balances the savings with the desire for local access with the need to focus stretched resources on operational policing.
