Mayor of London says he is “following the evidence” with his decision to shutter almost half of the capital’s police front counters, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

Closing almost half of London’s police station front counters is a “pragmatic” decision that will improve safety for Londoners, Sir Sadiq Khan has said.

The London mayor claimed that the Metropolitan Police proposal to cut the number of front counters from 37 to 19 would see more funding go into visible neighbourhood policing.

The plans will save the force £7million as the Met attempts to make up a £260m budget shortfall, but they have also drawn the ire of London Assembly members and MPs across the city.

Front counters at Edmonton, Tottenham and Chingford are among those earmarked for closure, although Wood Green Police Station is also being proposed to reopen to the public.

The mayor was not present for an extraordinary meeting after the news broke, instead sending his deputy, meaning the Mayor’s Question Time session yesterday (Thursday 11th) at City Hall was the first time he has been scrutinised over the decision.

Khan argued that “very few people” still use front counters to report crime and that the money saved from closing them could be better used elsewhere.

“It was made clear that what matters most to Londoners is visible policing in their communities,” he told assembly members. “In the face of devastating cuts to policing by the previous government, the Met faces a stark financial situation.

“This has led to them needing to make a number of tough choices. Any changes to the number of police station front counters is an operational decision for the Met to take.”

The Met first began closing its front counters in 2013, when London had nearly 140 of them.

The former Conservative mayor Boris Johnson closed 65 counters, and the current mayor himself shut 38 in 2017.

In his election manifesto last year, Khan promised to maintain a 24-hour police front counter in every London borough. But he told assembly members that “when the facts change, I change my mind”.

He added: “95% of crime is now reported online, by phone or directly to officers in their community. There are more people reporting crimes over the phone or online – if we improved their services, the quality received by Londoners is enhanced.

“Very few people use front counters – it’s just a fact. Some counters were used just three times a day to report crimes. We have to recognise the effects of austerity and what the police can afford to do.

“I could insist with the commissioner that certain things happen but when he explains the operational consequences – for example, the £7million saved from closing front counters equates to more police officers.

“I would be a fool to be dogmatic and not follow the evidence presented. I made a pragmatic decision to listen to the advice of the police and pivot that funding to an improved command and control centre.

“It’s money we could spend on having more police officers instead of front counters we don’t use.

“Rather than spending money on bricks and mortar, we should spend limited resources on neighbourhood policing and resources that Londoners do use. A building doesn’t make people feel safe, police being visible does make people feel safe.”

A Met Police spokesperson previously said that 5% of crimes were reported at front counters last year – equating to just under 50,000.

But assembly members noted that individuals visit counters for other reasons, such as reporting missing people, seeking guidance or using them as a place of safety.

The mayor also said he regretted the way the news around front counter closures initially emerged in July.

“It wasn’t intentional from the police – they were trying to consult with their staff and then these things went from inside to outside the police service,” he said.

“The police trying to improve plans by working with others inside the service, but they don’t want to inadvertently alarm the public about plans that haven’t been finalised. The police, in this case, would accept that things could have been handled differently and I apologise for that.”

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