The cost-cutting move will mean Waltham Forest will no longer have any police stations with a front counter, reports Marco Marcelline

Chingford Police Station in Kings Head Hill

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that Chingford Police Station’s front desk will shut, prompting concern and criticism from politicians and the public alike.

In August, the Met announced it would shut 18 out of the 37 front counters in London, including Chingford, Edmonton, and Tottenham.

Following public consultation, this was revised to 10 counters shutting, while a total of 27 are staying open. Chingford Police Station’s front desk is among those to shut.

Only Lewisham and Charing Cross will remain open 24 hours.

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.

The Met insists that closing front desks will save both time as well as money, namely “2,900 hours” of police time per month.

However, the move, which is expected to be completed by the new year, will mean Waltham Forest will no longer have any police stations with a walk-in front desk. Once closed, the closest front desks to Waltham Forest residents will be in Stratford and Ilford.

The borough’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.

Waltham Forest Tory leader Emma Best told the Echo that the people of Chingford and Waltham Forest were being treated as “second class citizens” by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for overseeing the police in the capital.

She said: “I’m horrified that we will be left with no publicly accessible police station in the borough. The people of Chingford and Waltham Forest do not deserve to be treated as second class citizens by this Mayor, not given the same services as 27 other boroughs.

“The Mayor needs to relook at this decision and I would also plead with the Labour leader of Waltham Forest to start effectively lobbying her Mayor in the same way other boroughs clearly have.”

Waltham Forest Council leader Grace Williams expressed her “disappointment” at the decision, stating she had raised her concerns directly with the borough’s police commander.

She told the Echo: “We are actively exploring ways we can work together to increase our support to local people through initiatives like including co-location with council services such as local libraries or other places where we already provide drop-in support.

“I understand this is a corporate decision taken across London. But I am nevertheless anxious that this puts at risk some of the great work we have been doing in partnership to build trust and accountability between the police and our community.”

Phillip Herlihy, who chairs the Walthamstow High Street ward police panel, suggested the police consider placing “video booths with secure waiting space” in already staffed public buildings like libraries, hospitals or fire stations.

He said: “They could be efficiently manned by officers from the MetCC centres, but in a more ‘in person’ way than just a voice on your mobile. At times of stress, how people feel really matters.”

Chingford and Woodford Green MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith also voiced his “deep disappointment” at the decision.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, the Conservative MP said: “Chingford has a disproportionately high elderly population compared to other areas of London. The closure of the front desk will significantly affect accessibility to policing services for our elderly and most vulnerable residents, many of whom rely on face-to-face policing services and are unable to use the Met’s digital or phone-based alternatives.

“I urge the Metropolitan Police to reconsider this decision in the interest of public confidence in policing, public safety and fairness.”

A Met spokesperson said: “We are keeping 27 front counters open which are geographically spread across London. Where they do close, new weatherproof phones will be installed outside to minimise the impact. The public can also easily book appointments to see an officer, report on 999, 101 and online, and access video appointments.

“So reporting a crime is more convenient than ever and 95% or reports do not involve a front counter. That proportion will only increase given modern preferences and it’s right we allocate our resources appropriately.”

Front counters in Ilford and Stratford will operate Monday to Friday, 10am until 10pm, and 9am until 7pm at weekends.

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