Today the Labour Mayor of London has published his report on police station front counters in London, following the consultation which ended last month. You can read the report here.
I am extremely disappointed that the Mayor is continuing with his plans to close Wimbledon Police Station. This is despite our community making it very clear this proposal is unacceptable through a petition signed by over 4,000 people and many responses to the consultation.
This report states that there is no significant operational issue with moving Wimbledon Police Station’s facilities to Mitcham. This is simply not true as there will be no operational hub in Wimbledon, and Mitcham Police Station is simply not big enough to take on all the functions of Wimbledon Police Station. I raised these concerns in person to the Deputy Mayor for Policing, and in writing to the Mayor. These concerns have not been adequately addressed and there is no plan for local policing from the Mayor beyond selling off our police station. Furthermore, the Mayor has not addressed my request to meet with him to discuss this in person.
As I said in a recent debate in Parliament, the Mayor must take responsibility for his decisions. His plan to continue with the closure of Wimbledon Police Station, despite strong opposition from residents, will put my constituents at risk.
Wimbledon residents, especially those living around the Town Centre, will not forget this is a Mayor who neither listens to residents nor has any concern for their safety. I will continue to do everything I can to fight against these plans.