PCS pressure leads to U-turn on closure of police station front counters

In May 2025, PCS was advised by the Met Police that it faced a £260 million funding gap and would be embarking on a money-saving programme. It announced in July that it planned to move from 37 front counters to 19, of which 8 would operate 24/7 and 11 would remain open on extended hours, in a move designed to save £7m.

Front counters are used for a wide range of things, including monitoring return to bail, a safe place for vulnerable people facing hostility on London’s streets, providing support for vulnerable individuals, helping tourists unfamiliar with London, handling domestic violence and hate crime cases and the handing in of weapons. In July 2025 front counters took in 36 ninja swords as part of a ninja sword surrender scheme.

PCS set up an e-action campaign which resulted in over 10,000 letters being sent to Greater London Assembly members and MPs.

In October 2025, PCS submitted a letter to the Met registering a failure to agree on the proposed changes for the front counters, which would result in the loss of around £6000 in shift allowances and affect working patterns for our public access officer (PAO) members, particularly those with caring responsibilities who are predominantly women, and its failure to follow the agreed partnership framework for collective bargaining.

The Met has now advised us that its plans to close front counters this month will not go ahead “due to ongoing negotiations with the PCS trade union” This comes alongside the news that Richmond council is planning legal action against the Met and the Mayor of London, citing its plans had been made without consultation, clear evidence and consideration for vulnerable residents.

Importance of PCS campaigning

When asked about the importance of campaigning against the counter closures, public access officer members said:

“It is very important to fight for us to keep our jobs and to keep a significant part of our local communities open.”

Another member said “I believe that the Met has misled the public about the outcome of the review for front counters. The senior managers do not know or want to know how much PAOs do daily, they just wanted to close the counters.”

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.