Closing police counters is pragmatic, says mayor

"Closing almost half of the capital's remaining police station front counters is a "pragmatic" decision that will improve safety for Londoners, Sir Sadiq Khan has said. The Metropolitan Police plans to permanently cut the number of publicly accessible front counters from 37 to 19, as it tries to cut costs amid a 260m budget shortfall - plans that have been criticised by politicians across the capital."

"The Mayor of London previously said there was a strong case to keep them open and made a manifesto pledge to retain at least one 24-hour counter in each borough. But on Thursday, he said "very few people" used the counters and the running costs could be better spent on neighbourhood policing. "It was made clear that what matters most to Londoners is visible policing in their communities," Sir Sadiq told London Assembly Members."

""In the face of devastating cuts to policing... the Met faces a stark financial situation. "This has led to them needing to make a number of tough choices." The Met previously said the cuts were likely to take effect from the end of this year. The announcement followed a warning from the Met's Commissioner that the force faced a large "black hole" in its budget."

Almost half of London's publicly accessible police front counters will close, reducing the number from 37 to 19 to address a £260m Metropolitan Police budget shortfall. Authorities argue the closures are pragmatic because very few people use the counters and operating costs can be redirected toward visible neighbourhood policing. The change follows earlier closures since 2013 and contrasts with a previous pledge to retain at least one 24-hour counter per borough. The decision responds to warnings of a large budget 'black hole' and is presented as one of several difficult measures required to balance policing finances.

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