Prospective Conservative Candidate for Mayor of Lewisham Ross Archer has voiced his concern about potential plans to close up to 50% of London’s Police Front counters. Each London borough could be left with just one 24-hour Police counter if suggestions by the Mayor of London are implemented.
Despite criticising similar proposals back in 2013 the Labour Mayor of London is now considering deep cuts to the Met Police. Earlier this year the Mayor increased council tax claiming the increase will be put into the Police budget, but since then has cut the services recruitment budget and now has admitted to planning station closures. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime has been looking into the suggestion for over 6 months and are believed to have identified the stations which will be effected.
The Mayor of London is also trailing proposals to axe individual Borough Commanders, replacing the role with a Regional Commander role to serve multiple boroughs. Lewisham Conservatives have called for Lewisham to be exempt from this arguing the borough needs to main its community links, something they fear these proposals put at risk.
Prospective Lewisham Mayoral Candidate Ross Archer said “Reports that Sadiq Khan have spent over six months planning how to sell his plans to the public are insulting. London needs a leader not a sales rep. It is vital we have a visible police force in our communities and the Mayor should focus on how he will deliver that, not how he will sell the changes to the public”.