The front counter at Harrow Police station is one of 18 set to close across London
The proposed closure of a North London borough’s last remaining police station front desk risks leaving residents feeling more vulnerable and anxious amid rising crime rates, local politicians have said.
The front desk at Harrow Police Station is one of 18 set to close across London as the Metropolitan Police tries to cut costs amid a £260million budget shortfall. It is currently the only in-person place in the borough where residents can report crime, with the next nearest being in Wembley or Colindale.
Harrow Council’s Conservative administration tabled a motion at last week’s Full Council meeting (September 18) blaming Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan for its closure, calling it a “real betrayal” of residents. In contrast, the Labour opposition have called it a “direct consequence” of cuts to public services during the last Conservative Government.
Sir Sadiq, meanwhile, previously said it was an operational decision for the Met to make, but backed the move after he was told it would free up funds for more officers on the streets.
At the Full Council meeting, Harrow Council Leader, Paul Osborn, said: “I know that front desks have been closed in the past but this isn’t just one front desk closing in Harrow – it is THE police front desk. The only other thing in Harrow is the Pinner Police Station, which is run by volunteers.
“It was announced […] with no discussion in advance with the community [and] no consultation about what we could do to help. When previous changes have been made there has always been that engagement.”
In August, the Metropolitan Police proposed plans to slash the number of publicly accessible front desk counters in London from 37 to 19 in a bid to cut costs – meaning residents in more than a third of boroughs would not have a local police station with a front desk. Of those, only eight would be open on a 24/7 basis despite the Mayor’s manifesto pledge last year to maintain a 24/7 front counter in all 32 London boroughs.
Harrow’s Conservative and Labour groups acknowledged that the closure would leave people in Harrow feeling more vulnerable and anxious, particularly young women and the elderly. In fact, both MPs for the borough have been campaigning to keep the front desk open but each are blaming the other for the plan.
Sir Sadiq described the decision to close the front counters as a “pragmatic” one, which he claims will improve safety for Londoners. He said “very few people” used the front desks and the running costs could be better spent on neighbourhood policing.
Harrow Council believes the closure will “diminish accessibility to police services” in the borough and leave residents feeling less safe. Cllr Osborn said the Mayor’s previous promise that every London borough would have a police station has been “ripped to shreds”.
He added: “Police stations are vital, police front desks are vital. They provide really important reassurances for our communities and for those who aren’t able to report online. They provide the only place where they can do it and they feel comfortable doing it.”
Deputy Council Leader, Cllr Marilyn Ashton, described the decision as a “real betrayal” and suggested it will increase instability and anxiety among residents, especially with elderly people and young women. The Portfolio Holder for Public Safety, Cllr Pritesh Patel, added that it comes “at the worst possible time” due to crimes in the capital “rising at an alarming rate”.
Harrow Labour put the potential closure down to a “direct consequence of Conservative failure”, citing “a decade of cuts” to the police which have “left deep scars”. Cllr Peymana Assad said: “Because the Tories prioritised cutting budgets over protecting communities, that lifeline is potentially going to be ripped away.
“Frontline services are being sacrificed to balance books that were deliberately starved of resources. […] This is the result of Tory political choices and the people of Harrow are paying the price.”
She added: “With crime and antisocial behaviour on the rise, keeping a public-facing service open to residents sends a signal to our community that their safety is the police’s top priority. Without a front-desk service, our elderly and most vulnerable residents will have nowhere to go when reporting crime and those in Harrow who wish to threaten community safety will feel emboldened to do so.”
Both parties are currently campaigning to prevent the closure of the Northolt Road front desk. Other North London stations affected include Kentish Town, Tottenham, and Edmonton.
A Met spokesperson said: “Just 5 per cent of crimes were reported using front counters last year, with only 1 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.”
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