Waltham Forest Tory leader Emma Best says the move would disproportionately effect older people in the borough, who are more likely to use the front desk, reports Marco Marcelline
Plans to permanently shut the front desk at Chingford Police Station have been slammed by local councillors who say it would disproportionately impact the elderly.
Last week, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it would shut 18 out of the 37 front counters in London, including Chingford, Edmonton, and Tottenham. Chingford’s front desk is the only one in Waltham Forest.
Justifying the plan, which is billed to save the Met £7million as part of its bid to fill a £260m funding gap, the Met has said “just 5%” of all crimes were reported using front counters last year, with “only 1%” of these being made during the night.
But Waltham Forest Tory leader and Endlebury ward councillor Emma Best has said closing the front desk would heavily impact the ability of older people in the borough to report crimes.
Speaking to the Echo, she said: “In Chingford we have a demographic which is much more elderly than the London average and in particular this group wants to be able to use a front desk.
“Closing the desk will leave them with a three hour walk or over an hour journey via public transport to the next nearest station in either Ilford or Stratford.”
Cllr Best, who sits on the London Assembly, also attacked the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan for failing on a manifesto pledge to maintain a 24-hour police front office counter in every borough.
She added: “[Mayor Khan] has treated Londoners with contempt on this issue. Firstly, there is no consultation on the plans – we are told it is a done deal. Secondly, he waited until the London Assembly was heading into recess to break the news. Thirdly, when an emergency meeting was called to scrutinise the plans he didn’t come.”
The Met however insists that closing its front desks will save both time as well as money, namely “3,752 hours per month” for police officers manning desks.
After the closures go ahead, a total of 20 front desks will be open across the capital for Londoners to report a crime in person – though even these will be subject to reduced hours.
In place of the front desks, the Met has proposed video appointments, as well as a new digital community engagement platform called Met Engage where Londoners can report crimes.
Waltham Forest Tory and Labour councillors say this isn’t good enough to replace in-person reporting, however.
In a petition against the planned move, the Tories stated: “In the last year in London approximately 50,000 crimes were reported inside a police station. The police front counter is also an easy access point for victims to obtain updates on current investigations of serious crimes they have experienced. They are a refuge for those in danger and a place for witnesses to come forward.”
The Echo understands that Waltham Forest Council leader Grace Williams and cabinet member for community safety Khevyn Limbajee have met with Met Police to discuss their concerns about what the loss of face-to-face contact would have on some residents.
Meanwhile, Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy said the proposed closure was “the latest in a long line of examples of how local police leadership didn’t want to engage with the public”.
Waltham Forest’s police stations in Walthamstow, Leyton, and Leytonstone shut in 2011, 2012, and 2014 respectively.
A front desk in Walthamstow High Street was then closed in 2017.
Labour have long blamed the Conservatives for the Met’s funding gap, pointing to a £600m funding shortfall between 2010 and 2019.
The Met said: “Just 5% of crimes were reported using front counters last year, with only 1% 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 £7million 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.”
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