Dismore opposes Barnet police station closures
Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden, has just been informed that Mayor Boris Johnson intends completely to close the police stations in Whetstone and Golders Green to the public and reduce public access to Barnet police station to just 8 hours a day for only 5 days a week.
These fully functioning police stations are to be replaced by occasional desks in supermarkets and similar locations, leaving just one fully staffed police station in the whole Borough, at Colindale.
Mr Dismore said:
“This is wholly unacceptable. The public need to be able to contact the police when they need to, not when the Mayor says the police can deign to be open to them. Are they an emergency service or not?
These cuts are the product of the outrageous cuts on the Met, being imposed by the Conservative led Coalition Government and Mayor Boris Johnson.
They seem to forget that the first duty of any government is to keep the public safe. Stalls in supermarkets are no substitute for police stations.
The consultation, such as it is, is also being done very badly. There is no proper public consultation. As Assembly Member, I was only informed today – with a consultation that closes on Thursday, giving no realistic opportunity to meet the local police to discuss the cuts.
The cuts are also insulting to the Jewish community: the police say they will open a counter at the Golders Green safer neighbourhood team base, especially for Jewish residents – but on a Friday and Saturday, the days when many Jewish people are otherwise engaged!
Mayor Johnson must reconsider his police budget and these cuts immediately.”
