Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan is under increasing pressure to intervene and ask the Metropolitan Police to rethink their proposals on scrapping almost half of station front counters.
Labour’s spokesperson for policing and crime in City Hall, Assembly Member Marina Ahmad, has become the second party representative to break ranks and come out publicly against the Metropolitan Police’s decision.
Assembly Members have been critical of the fact that the proposals are considered an operational decision for the Met Police, meaning no public consultation, which could reveal the full extent of the strength of feeling against the closures, is needed.
Under the Met’s plans, the last remaining police station front counter in Camden (Kentish Town) will close and only Charing Cross station will remain open to the public in Westminster. Eighteen front counters are due to close leaving just 20 stations across London with a public-facing contact point.
Ahmad said: “The Met police should consult publicly on these proposals. It is essential that the Met police engage with Londoners, consult on proposals and seek views on how this might impact the same communities that they are working hard to rebuild trust with.
“Front counters provide a visible and accessible public presence. They are often the first point of contact for vulnerable people including those fleeing domestic abuse, rough sleepers and people in crisis as well as those who do not have internet access.
“While my colleagues and I recognise the very real financial pressures the Met is facing following 14 years of austerity, we do not believe this decision is acceptable,” said Ahmad who is Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark.
Last week the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed the start of the unrest in Labour’s ranks about the closures, which were revealed prior to an extraordinary public meeting in City Hall last Wednesday.
City and East Assembly Member Unmesh Desai told the LDRS that the impact of closing the 24-hour front counter at Bethnal Green Police Station would have a “devastating” impact on the community.
Labour MPs have also campaigned for the Met to rethink their choice, which they say will save £7mn at a time when the force needs to make up a £260mn funding gap.
Margaret Mullane, the MP for Dagenham and Rainham, has said the front counter at Dagenham Police Station is “the last place to physically report crime” in her constituency.
Labour MP Danny Beales, who represents Uxbridge and South Rusilip and is a former councillor in Camden, told the LDRS that the planned closure of the front desk at Hayes Police Station is “disappointing and unacceptable.”
He added: “As a Member of Parliament for the neighbouring constituency in Hillingdon, I know that many of my residents rely on the accessibility of the Hayes front desk as the only in person reporting mechanism in the Borough.
“Since my election in July, I have met and spoken to residents and victims regarding the impact of crime in our borough. I am incredibly proud of the work this Government has done so far reverse the trend of historic cuts to the Metropolitan Police’s funding — with an additional £65mn when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, equating to 31.1 per cent real terms increase. However, due to over a decade of underfunding, it is clear more support is needed.
“The Metropolitan Police’s decision to close the front desk and thus reduce accessibility and availability to the community would be a significant step in the wrong direction.
“Following the announcement, I have written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, and the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, to outline my significant concerns regarding this decision and asking them to think again.”
The Mayor of London did not attend the Extraordinary London Assembly meeting last week, instead sending his Deputy Mayor of Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz.
Last month Khan defended plans to shut the counters, saying that in some areas, “frankly speaking, nobody uses the front counters after office hours”.
The LDRS asked the Mayor’s Office whether he would intervene and ask the Met Police to rethink their decision but did not get a direct response.
Comer-Schwartz told the LDRS: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor and I than keeping Londoners safe and we are determined to continue doing all we can to support Sir Mark Rowley deliver a New Met for London, putting neighbourhood policing at the heart of communities.
“The proposed changes to police counters are an operational decision for the Met — based on resources, funding and public demand for services.
“After over a decade of cuts worth over a billion under the previous government, the Met is facing an extremely difficult financial situation. The Mayor and I are working closely with the Met to boost visible neighbourhood policing in our communities and are having ongoing discussions with Ministers and the Commissioner about the funding the Met needs to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone.”
A Met spokesperson told the LDRS: “Just five per cent of crimes were reported using front counters last year, with only one per cent of these being made during the night. At the busiest front counter in London on average 15 crimes are reported a day — less than one an hour — and in the least busy, only 2.5 crimes are reported a day.
“Londoners tell us they want to see more officers on our streets. The decision to reduce and close some front counters will save £7mn and 3,752 hours of police officer time per month allowing us to focus resources relentlessly on tackling crime and putting more officers into neighbourhoods across London.”
Editor’s note: It was later announced that the front counter at Kentish Town police station in Camden would remain open but with reduced hours.
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