Jonathan BartleyLondon, ENG, United Kingdom
Dec 14, 2017
Dear Petitioner,
On behalf of the Mayor of London, we would like to thank you for your petition. The proposal to close the front counter in Streatham was part of a broader set of proposals intended to save an additional £8 million – equivalent to the cost of 140 police constables –to protect and support frontline policing as much as possible.
As you are probably already aware, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) have now published the final Public Access Strategy, which can be accessed here. The measures set out in this Strategy are part of our plan to do everything possible to protect front line policing and keep London safe at a time of unprecedented pressure on the MPS’s budget.
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.
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.
In Lambeth specifically, as per original proposals, the 24/7 front counter will remain at Brixton. The front counters at Streatham and Kennington will be closed.
We acknowledge the concerns you have raised via this petition pertaining to the closure of Streatham police station. However, given the favourable operational reasons for maintaining Brixton police station, the proposal remains to close Streatham. It is important that the community is also aware that the Met have confirmed that while the front counter at Streatham police station will be closed from this month - in order to reduce running costs - the building will retain a police presence until 2024.
These changes will result in savings of £444,000 per year to invest in frontline policing.
Regarding the investment in Streatham Police Station, spending £591k allowed us to move from the old Streatham Police Station to the new location. The old one cost £260k per annum to run and the new one costs just £55k per annum. Since the front counter has been open, we have already achieved payback on what we spent. This payback will only increase as we are keeping the building in operation (without a front counter) until 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Public Liaison Officer
Greater London Authority
On behalf of the Mayor of London, we would like to thank you for your petition. The proposal to close the front counter in Streatham was part of a broader set of proposals intended to save an additional £8 million – equivalent to the cost of 140 police constables –to protect and support frontline policing as much as possible.
As you are probably already aware, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) have now published the final Public Access Strategy, which can be accessed here. The measures set out in this Strategy are part of our plan to do everything possible to protect front line policing and keep London safe at a time of unprecedented pressure on the MPS’s budget.
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.
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.
In Lambeth specifically, as per original proposals, the 24/7 front counter will remain at Brixton. The front counters at Streatham and Kennington will be closed.
We acknowledge the concerns you have raised via this petition pertaining to the closure of Streatham police station. However, given the favourable operational reasons for maintaining Brixton police station, the proposal remains to close Streatham. It is important that the community is also aware that the Met have confirmed that while the front counter at Streatham police station will be closed from this month - in order to reduce running costs - the building will retain a police presence until 2024.
These changes will result in savings of £444,000 per year to invest in frontline policing.
Regarding the investment in Streatham Police Station, spending £591k allowed us to move from the old Streatham Police Station to the new location. The old one cost £260k per annum to run and the new one costs just £55k per annum. Since the front counter has been open, we have already achieved payback on what we spent. This payback will only increase as we are keeping the building in operation (without a front counter) until 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Public Liaison Officer
Greater London Authority
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