Latest news with #MattTwist
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Full list of London police station front desks being shut - see on our map if your local counter is being axed
Half of the front desks at London police stations will close as the Met has unveiled a new money-saving plan. The Mail's interactive map shows the full list of affected areas after Scotland Yard admitted it would break its pledge to have one counter accessible 24 hours a day in each of the capital's 32 boroughs. Only 20 desks will remain open with 18 set to be axed by the Metropolitan Police as the force scrambles to balance its £260million budget shortfall. The Met has faced criticism it will now be 'less accessible' as critics claim the change is 'another nail in the coffin of community policing'. Met Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist and Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Sadiq Khan 's deputy mayor for policing and crime, are expected to face a number of angry London Assembly members at an extraordinary additional meeting where the proposals will be discussed. The full list of affected police stations can be viewed in the map below. The closures will impact Kentish Town in Camden; Tottenham in Haringey; Edmonton in Enfield; Harrow; Bethnal Green in Tower Hamlets; Dagenham; Chingford in Waltham Forest; Kensington; Hammersmith; Twickenham in Richmond; Lavender Hill in Wandsworth; Wimbledon in Merton; Hayes in Hillingdon; and Plumstead in Greenwich. Four more stations, which already operate with reduced desks, will also shut - at Barking Learning Centre, Church Street in Westminster, Royalty Studios in Kensington and Chelsea and Mitcham in Merton. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp posted on X: 'The police will now be less accessible and Londoners even less safe.' Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson also wrote to the Home Secretary demanding she fully commits to funding the force. It comes as Yvette Cooper has been warned 'further cuts only put another nail in the coffin of community policing'. As a result of the policy, residents in south west London will now no longer be able to walk in and speak to an officer face-to-face due to the losses in Twickenham, Merton, Wimbledon, Lavender Hill and Mitcham. There are also fears those on bail may have to travel miles to report as part of their conditions - increasing the risk a defendant could abscond. But surprisingly, Kingston police station will remain open so the nearest 24-hour counter Richmond is not Acton, Sutton or Lambeth. Last week the Mail revealed London as the 15th most dangerous city for crime in Europe. The capital, which is also the 100th worst out of 385 locations around the world, is less safe than rival European cities from Athens to Brussels and Milan to Barcelona. London is also worse than major US cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Dallas as well as other global destinations from Cancun to Cairo and Bali to Bangalore. The city is however only the fifth worst UK location for crime - behind Bradford, Coventry, Birmingham and Manchester, according to Numbeo's Crime Index. Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, where a young woman was raped in the town centre on June 29, claimed the police in her borough did not want to 'engage with the public at all'. Her comments came upon hearing Chingford would close and residents would have to go to Stratford or online if they wanted to contact someone. Paula Dodds, chair of the rank-and-file Met Police Federation, said: 'If we close police station front counters the public can't have access to us when they need it most. 'We can't hide behind technology because not everyone has access to technology to call the police or go online to report a crime – they want that personal interaction. The public are going to have to go further to get access to a police station if they need it out of hours.' A Met spokesman said: '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 £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.' The force added the Met 'is focusing ruthlessly on visible policing on London's streets, modernising services and increasing visibility in neighbourhoods with over 300 additional PCSOs and over 300 additional officers'.
ITV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
London police station front counters at risk of closure as part of cost-cutting
Londoners will have access to 18 fewer police stations under radical closure plans revealed today. The move by the Metropolitan Police breaks a pledge made by Mayor Sadiq Khan to have one accessible 24 hours a day in each of the capital's 32 boroughs. The Metropolitan Police published a proposal overnight to cut the number of front counters from 37 to 20 as part of cost-cutting reorganisation. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the Met faced a "£260m black hole" in its budget but conceded the closures would save just £7m. Speaking in front of London Assembly members at an extraordinary additional meeting to urgently discuss the proposals, he said: "This essentially comes down to us having to choose between keeping officers on London streets where they can respond to the public and local communities, or, in the case that we are discussing today, retaining the current position on all front counters. "They may be a symbolic point of access but are largely under utilised, especially overnight. "Front counter usage has been in steady decline since 2012, when 12% of all of our reported crime came in via station offices. "Since then, crime reporting across front counters has reduced to 5% as people have shifted to use of phones and online means. " Mr Twist said London's quietest police station, Wimbledon, saw an average of just 2.5 crimes a day reported to staff at the front counter. London's busiest police station, Charing Cross, in the West End - sees 15 crimes a day reported. The Met said just 5 per cent of crimes were reported using front counters last year. The police counters to close are: Kentish Town in Camden, Tottenham in Haringey, Edmonton in Enfield, Harrow, Bethnal Green in Tower Hamlets, Dagenham, Chingford in Waltham Forest, Kensington, Hammersmith, Twickenham in Richmond, Lavender Hill in Wandswort h, Wimbledon in Merton, Hayes in Hillingdon, and Plumstead in Greenwich. A further four to close which are currently reduced front counters are Barking Learning Centre, Church Street in Westminster, Royalty Studios in Kensington and Chelsea and Mitcham in Merton. Shadow justice secretary Chris Philp posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'The police will now be less accessible and Londoners even less safe.' Speaking at the meeting, the deputy Mayor of Police and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: "Nothing is more important to me and the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe." "Despite the Mayor pulling every lever at his disposal to support the Met, it's also true that after a decade of underfunding, the Met is facing an extremely difficult financial headwind. "Delivering a balanced budget has therefore meant some difficult decisions which the Commissioner has been very clear about. One of these tough choices the Commissioner has been looking at is the Met's front counters. "Throughout conversations with the Met, the Mayor has been clear on the importance of neighbourhood policing, response, public protection and agreed with the Commissioner that these must be protected." Deputy leader for the City Hall Conservatives, Emma Best, said front counters provide a space for people to go to for updates on missing people, lost and found, mental health concerns, or complaints. Ms Best, who's a leader of Waltham Forest Conservatives, said the Met are now asking elderly people in her area to travel over an hour to get to the next nearest station, and haven't considered those you do use front counters.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Closing Metropolitan Police counters is 'difficult' choice
Almost half of police station front counters across London will be closed in a bid to save money, the Metropolitan Police Service has force plans to reduce the number of front counters where the public can speak to officers from 38 to 20, and cut the number of them open 24 hours a day from 32 to Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told the London Assembly on Wednesday that the closures would save £7m a year but were "difficult choices".The proposals, which could begin by the end of the year, form part of the force's plan to make £260m worth of savings by reducing services and about 1,700 officer and staff roles. The plan would break a pledge from both the mayor and The Met to have a counter staffed 24/7 in each of the capital's 32 boroughs. The Met first began closing its front counters in 2013 - when London had nearly 140 of them. Then mayor Boris Johnson closed 65 of them - and in 2017 current mayor Sir Sadiq Khan closed a further 38. These closures left nearly all boroughs with only one counter open 24 hours a home secretary Chris Philp said Londoners would be less safe as a result of the changes. Mr Twist told the London Assembly that the force only realised how bad its finances were late last year."With a £260m black hole in our budget, it's inevitable that some of the choices we're having to make will change the way we police London and will be unpopular with some people," he said."We need to make difficult choices and prioritise," he said."This essentially comes down to us having to choose between keeping officers on London's streets, where they can respond to the public, or retaining the current position on all front counters, which may be a symbolic point of access but are largely underutilised, especially overnight." 'In decline' Mr Twist said front counter usage had been in decline since 2012, when 12% of all reported crime came in via station approximately 5% of crime is reporting on front counters, he said that while the Metropolitan Police force was reducing in size, it was being re-shaped to place more policing presence on London's streets. "These decisions are about making The Met more accessible and visible in neighbourhoods when the organisation is shrinking," he said. The Met said that under its current the proposal, the counters that would close were:Barking Learning Centre, Barking and DagenhamBethnal Green, Tower HamletsChingford, Waltham ForestChurch Street, WestminsterDagenham, Barking and DagenhamEdmonton, EnfieldHammersmith, Hammersmith and FulhamHarrowHayes, HillingdonKentish Town, CamdenKensington, Kensington and ChelseaLavender Hill, WandsworthMitcham, MertonPlumstead, GreenwichRoyalty Studios, Kensington and ChelseaTottenham, HaringeyTwickenham, RichmondWimbledon, MertonIt also proposed to re-open the front counter in Wood Green, Haringey, to replace the Edmonton closure.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Interactive map reveals where half of London's police station front desks will shut as Met releases bombshell list
The Metropolitan Police's plans to close half its front desks to save money have been revealed in full ahead of what is expected to be a heated meeting at City Hall on Wednesday. In a list published overnight, Scotland Yard confirms it will break its pledge to have one accessible 24 hours a day in each of the capital's 32 boroughs. Just 20 will remain open with 18 being axed in a desperate attempt to balance a £260 million budget shortfall. They are Kentish Town in Camden; Tottenham in Haringey; Edmonton in Enfield; Harrow; Bethnal Green in Tower Hamlets; Dagenham; Chingford in Waltham Forest; Kensington; Hammersmith; Twickenham in Richmond; Lavender Hill in Wandsworth; Wimbledon in Merton; Hayes in Hillingdon; and Plumstead in Greenwich. A further four currently with reduced front desks will close at Barking Learning Centre, Church Street in Westminster, Royalty Studios in Kensington and Chelsea and Mitcham in Merton. Met Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist and Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Sadiq Khan's deputy mayor for policing and crime, will face furious London Assembly members at an extraordinary additional meeting to urgently discuss the proposals. Shadow justice secretary Chris Philp posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'The police will now be less accessible and Londoners even less safe.' Lib Dem MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson was among those who wrote to the Home Secretary demanding that she fully commits to funding the force. They warned Yvette Cooper 'further cuts only put another nail in the coffin of community policing'. Amid an epidemic of knife crime, mobile phone snatches, shoplifting and bike theft across London, Cooper was told the move 'caused significant worry for our constituents'. In south west London, it means residents cannot walk in and speak to an officer face-to-face when Twickenham, Merton, Wimbledon, Lavender Hill and Mitcham lose theirs. There are also concerns those on bail will have to travel miles to report as part of conditions increasing the risk a defendant might abscond. In a surprise move, Kingston police station will remain open to avoid the nearest 24-hour counter to Richmond being Acton, Sutton or Lambeth. Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, where a young woman was raped in the town centre on June 29, accused the police in her borough of not wanting to 'engage with the public at all' after hearing Chingford will close and residents will need to go to Stratford or online if they want to contact someone. A Met Police spokeswoman said: 'Just five per cent of crimes were reported using front counters last year, with the vast majority of Londoners doing it over the phone, online, or in person with officers elsewhere. 'Given the Met's budget shortfall and shrinking size, it is no longer sustainable to keep all front counters open. 'That's why we have taken the tough choice to pursue some closures and a reduction in hours – allowing us to focus resources relentlessly on tackling crime and putting more officers into neighbourhoods across London.' She added the Met 'is focusing ruthlessly on visible policing on London's streets, modernising services and increasing visibility in neighbourhoods with over 300 additional PCSOs and over 300 additional officers'.
Telegraph
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Royal protection officers protest over Notting Hill Carnival
Members of Scotland Yard's elite royal protection unit are being drafted in to help police this year's Notting Hill Carnival amid mounting concern over the safety of the event, The Telegraph can reveal. Hundreds of personal protection officers – whose day to day roles involve looking after members of the Royal family, senior politicians and other VIPs – have been ordered to turn out and help man the barricades at next month's event. They will join around 7,000 other Metropolitan Police officers tasked with keeping an estimated two million revellers safe throughout the three day street party. Any officers with specific public order policing qualifications will be deployed to units primed to respond quickly to outbreaks of trouble or violence. But the vast majority – who only have basic public order training – will effectively be employed as stewards attempting to marshal the huge crowds. Crowd density concerns The decision to draft in specialist units to assist with the carnival comes amid growing concern at Scotland Yard that there could be a crush at the event because of the high density of attendees. In a report published in April this year, Asst Commissioner Matt Twist, from the Met Police, said: 'While we acknowledge the crime often gets the headlines, the thing that worries me most is the crowd density and the potential for a mass casualty event.' Met bosses are therefore determined to have as many resources available as they can muster. The decision to draft in personnel from royal protection and other specialist units also comes after Scotland Yard was criticised for relying too heavily on neighbourhood officers to fulfil public order commitments. Extracting officers from community policing makes it harder to tackle street crime and reduces trust and confidence in the Met. The recent pro-Palestinian marches and other large scale demonstrations have put a huge strain on the force, with a recent figures revealing that between Oct 7 2023 and June 2024 almost 52,000 officer shifts were dedicated to policing protests. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, has pledged to spread the public order load more fairly and ensure it is not just the neighbourhood teams that bear the brunt. But the order has gone down badly with many of those in the Royal and Specialist Protection (RaSP) command and is not without its practical problems Most RaSP officers work in plain clothes roles and have not worn uniform for years. Some of those ordered onto the front line have discovered that their original kit is out of date or no longer fits and so have been forced to order new ones in time for the carnival. They also had to urgently complete a Body Worn Video (BWV) training course as it is not standard equipment in RaSP, but is compulsory when doing public order jobs. Sources within the unit have said the orders have gone down very badly with officers, most of whom have not done public order work for years. 'No choice in the matter' One source said: 'They are highly trained, highly experienced specialists, and so are not happy about being told they have to do basic public order policing. 'They will essentially be working as glorified stewards but they don't have any choice in the matter. It's an order from the top but it could hardly be less welcome. 'Notting Hill is the least popular job of the year. It's not an exaggeration to say that the vast majority of officers hate working at Notting Hill, even those who do regular public order work. 'The shifts are very long, the conditions are really stressful and it is a pretty thankless role. The crowds seem to get bigger every year and it is extremely difficult to move around. Even when something happens it can be almost impossible for officers to get to the scene quickly. 'Huge drain' on Met resources Susan Hall, the vice chairman of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, also expressed concern about this year's event. She said: 'There is little wonder the police hate having to work at Notting Hill Carnival. It is a huge drain on the Met's resources each year and senior officers share my concerns that it is becoming far too dangerous. 'The organisers have failed to ensure there is sufficient stewarding and it is becoming almost impossible to manage the crowds. Do we have to wait until there is a mass casualty tragedy before the organisers listen to our concerns? 'Also the pro-Palestinian protests have been an enormous drain on Met resources. Virtually every weekend sees a massive public order policing event and so Notting Hill Carnival is frankly the last thing the force needs. 'Now we hear they are even having to draft in officers from royal protection to plug the gaps. It is surely time to end this madness and let the police get back to policing rather than working as glorified security guards at an unnecessary event.'
