Met Police to close more police station front counters

Between 2012 and 2022, 112 police stations with front counters were closed across the whole of London as part of the Met Police’s “Tough Choices” cost-saving initiative. Now the Met Police want to close a further 18 front counters, leaving only 19 to cover the whole of London, of which only 8 will operate 24/7.

This move will have a devastating impact on the safety of Londoners and visitors alike, as well as threatening the jobs of PCS members who work as public access officers (PAOs).

PAOs do the following and more: handle reports of rape, robbery and knife crime 24/7, provide a safe haven for vulnerable people facing hostility on London streets, chase up people who fail to bail return, support and help to de-escalate situations involving people who are distressed and at risk of becoming aggressive, help tourists who are unfamiliar with London, handle domestic violence cases and hate crime that has to be reported in person, handle, secure and store property belonging to those in custody, deal with wanted people who hand themselves in.

PCS believe the planned closures put not just our members’ jobs at risk but also the safety of Londoners and is calling on the Met Police to put the plans before a public consultation.

If you live or work in London, please use our e-action to write to your local MP and back PCS’s call for a public consultation. Over 9000 letters have already been sent, but we need to keep up the pressure to force a re-think.

The counters earmarked for closure are:

Barking, Bethnal Green, Chingford, Dagenham, Edmonton, Hammersmith, Harrow, Hayes, Kensington, Kentish Town, Mitcham, Plumstead, Royalty Studios, Tottenham, Twickenham, Lavender Hill, Westminster Church Street, Wimbledon.