{"id":433105,"date":"2025-09-18T07:33:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433105\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T07:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:33:10","slug":"mayor-accused-of-staying-silent-over-police-counter-closures-including-harrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433105\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor accused of \u2018staying silent\u2019 over police counter closures including Harrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrow is among the areas set to lose its police station front counter as part of plans to shut nearly half across London. The Mayor of London and his deputy policing lead have been accused of \u201cstaying silent\u201d on the Metropolitan Police\u2019s decision \u2013 despite knowing months in advance.<\/p>\n

The force has proposed to slash the number of publicly accessible front counters from 37 to 19, as it tries to cut costs amid a \u00a3260million budget shortfall.<\/p>\n

Deputy Mayor for Policing Kaya Comer-Schwartz told the Police and Crime Committee earlier today (Weds 17 September) that discussions around possible closures were held as early as November 2024, despite the London Assembly not knowing until July this year.<\/p>\n

Pressed by Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Gareth Roberts, Ms Comer-Schwartz said: \u201cIn November, December last year, there were some discussions around, given the strength of need in terms of the budget, what would be red lines, and some closures were discussed then.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, the proposals around the exact ones, I saw that in July.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said last November, \u201cnothing was agreed\u201d but admitted the conversations over the closures were \u201chigh level\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no specifics on that at all until July,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Under the plans leaked this summer, only 20 front counters would remain open across London, meaning residents in more than a third of boroughs would not have a local police station.<\/p>\n

Of these, only eight would be open on a 24\/7 basis, according to Hayley Sewart, the Met\u2019s commander for frontline policing, despite the Mayor\u2019s manifesto pledge last year to maintain a 24\/7 front counter in all 32 boroughs of London<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Last week Sir Sadiq Khan admitted he was first made aware of the possibility of closures during a presentation from Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley last winter.<\/p>\n

He went on to back the force\u2019s operational decision, claiming that \u201cvery few people\u201d visit front counters and that the money would be invested more effectively in neighbourhood policing teams.<\/p>\n

In 2023, he intervened to keep one such service in west London open, shortly before a parliamentary by-election in the constituency.<\/p>\n

But this week he told Assembly Members: \u201cWhen the facts change, I change my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Questioned about this use of language, Ms Comer-Schwartz told the Police and Crime Committee that she didn\u2019t have the specific data but said Crime Stoppers had seen a \u201chuge increase in reporting through their channels\u201d.<\/p>\n

Committee chair and Conservative Assembly Member and Hatch End<\/a> councillor Susan Hall said: \u201cSome of these answers you\u2019ve obtained are quite appalling, to be honest.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd all of us feel quite aggrieved, because we are aware of how unhappy the public are, even if you and the Mayor are not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t want their front counters gone for a saving of something like \u00a37million. They don t want that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a damn shame that both the police won\u2019t come [here] and you put everything down to [it being] operational.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Roberts told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): \u201cTo discover that both the Mayor and his Deputy Mayor privately knew closures of police front counters were on the table but stayed silent for seven or eight months is unacceptable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese decisions go to the heart of public trust and safety. Communities rely on local police counters \u2013 and they should not be cut by stealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposals would see up to 18 police front counters shut across the capital, for an estimated saving of just \u00a37 million \u2013 a move strongly opposed by local communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe London Assembly will continue pressing for clarity on what has changed since the Mayor\u2019s election promise, and why Londoners were misled for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: \u201cNothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe and he is determined to continue doing all he can to support Sir Mark Rowley deliver a New Met for London, putting neighbourhood policing at the heart of communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposed changes to police counters are an operational decision for the Met \u2013 based on resources, funding and public demand for services.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter over a decade of cuts worth over a billion under the previous government, the Met is facing an extremely difficult financial situation. The Mayor is working closely with the Met to boost visible neighbourhood policing in our communities and is 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udce9
\n
\n \"Mayor<\/p>\n

Get the latest breaking news, roadworks, crime updates and local events straight to your inbox \u2013 totally free, every day.<\/p>\n

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