| |
 Hampstead police station |
Will mayor Ken step in to save the borough’s police stations?
The weight of public opinion is against plans to centralise policing, but saving money is the real reason behind this station sell-off, says Councillor Chris Philp
USUALLY, a political party’s street stall being run in the pouring rain on a Saturday morning does not attract much public interest. But the one I ran a few weeks ago to collect signatures to save Hampstead police station generated a response unlike any other I have ever seen – and made the soaking worthwhile.
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) recently published their “Estate Strategy” report. As Camden residents and campaigners had long feared, policing here is due for a dramatic shake-down: the closure of Hampstead police station, the likely closure of Kentish Town police station and instead of having four bases around the borough from which officers patrol and respond to emergency calls, there will be one central fortified “warehouse”, at an unspecified location. We have until February 23 to register our views on these plans.
The MPA deploy two arguments to justify their decision. First, they say that the police stations are old, and that they are not suitable for modern policing – claiming that there isn’t enough space for lockers or for IT wiring. This argument is bunkum. There are plenty of old buildings used for modern purposes – from the Houses of Parliament to science labs at Oxford University. These old buildings work – and so can our police stations.
Secondly, they argue that having all of the borough’s patrol and response police in one place is more efficient.
This argument is even more bunkum. If there is a single patrol and response base, then officers will be further from their patches and response times will inevitably increase.
Emergency response times in Camden are already missing their targets – between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of 999 calls graded “immediate” were attended within 12 minutes in the last half of 2007, compared to a target of 80 per cent. These plans will make these 999 emergency response times even worse, and endanger community safety.
The real reason for these closures is not mentioned until the very end of the report. On page 17, the report admits that the changes are designed to “ultimately result in significant cost savings”. So the real reason for the planned closures is clear: to make money by selling Hampstead and Kentish Town police stations to property developers.
It is wrong that making money and slashing costs is being put ahead of community safety. That’s why I and other community leaders are doing everything we can to oppose the closure plans.
Not surprisingly, public opinion is running high. We have had hundreds of signatures back – from street stalls and flyers – opposing these closure plans. I have never seen an issue in this area create such a huge public response.
I have yet to meet anyone in the area who supports these closures. Residents understand that a meaningful local physical police presence means a deterrent to criminals and faster response times. Local people also understand that once you sell off a valuable freehold public asset, there is no turning the clock back – it’s gone for good.
The report recommending the closures claims to be addressing Camden’s specific needs. It is clear, however, that the report is a cut-and-paste job for all London boroughs.
For example, the reasons given for closing Harlesden and Willesden police stations in Brent are word-for-word the same as the reasons given for closing down Hampstead and Kentish Town police stations here in Camden.
The MPA, which took this decision, has questionable legitimacy. It is a quango which no one has elected and which has no operational policing expertise. Who are they to close down our local police stations?
The MPA is ultimately accountable to the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Mr Livingstone has been notably silent on this issue so far. Does he have any views? Will he step in and save our police station? Or is he happy to see the police stations close down? I have written to him to ask exactly these questions.
Local public meetings are being held this month and next, and we are collecting signatures to hand in to Mr Livingstone to try and persuade him to change his mind. Please sign up or come to one of the meetings, and together we will try to save our borough’s police stations – before it’s too late.
|
 |
|
| |
