London Mayor Boris Johnson’s Police and Crime Plan for London proposes to shut near half of the capital’s police ‘front counters’, as featured in the February print issue of Professional Security magazine. The Met Police will keep 73 of the 136 front counters open, with half of these – at least one in each borough – open 24/7. Of the 65 Met buildings which had been earmarked for closure under the draft plan as a result of the consultation the Met will be keeping 15 open and in use by officers.
In total there will be 194 places in London where the public can visit the police, and the authorities said, they have already guaranteed that every victim of crime in London will get a personal visit from the police should they want one.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “I want the Met to be the best police service for Londoners. The changes we’re making will help us to fight crime and patrol the streets.
“London’s communities are at the heart of what we do. We will have more officers out on the streets, working daily in local neighbourhoods.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Londoners have repeatedly told us that putting more officers on the streets is their top priority, not keeping them hidden behind desks in offices which the public rarely set foot in. By getting our police out onto the streets and into the heart of their communities, we will drive down crime and boost confidence, and at the same time build a Met Police Service which is leaner, more efficient and more effective.”
The plan, including maps access plans for each borough, are on the MOPAC website: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/policing-and-crime/police-and-crime-plan
The Met says it will be opening almost 100 contact points to the public. Most of these are Safer Neighbourhoods bases, usually on high streets and within busy areas but these have not tended to be open to the public previously. Other contact points will be in civic and public buildings, such as libraries and hospitals. The Met says they are committed to them being open at least three times a week (though hours not specified yet), giving Londoners the opportunity to meet police in convenient locations.
Also proposed in the plan are better working with partner s to identify crime hotspots and develop smarter solutions to alcohol and drug-related crime including the roll-out of a pilot Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement; and creation of a £1m crime prevention fund from which new Safer Neighbourhood Boards in every borough (from 2014) will be able to bid to fund local projects.
