107.8 Radio Jackie - Bulletins aired each hour

Saturday, 11 September 2021

Teddington Police Station should be used to “get more police onto our streets, not sold to the highest bidder to build luxury flats”.

That’s what the area’s Lib Dem MP, Munira Wilson, is saying, as she writes to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.

She says that people are concerned about the number of police cars driving down Kingston Road, suggesting cars are coming from Kingston or Twickenham.

The Mayor of London says the station is not needed to meet officer growth requirements, and the frontline needs to be prioritised over unneeded buildings.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The decision to sell a number of police stations, including Teddington Police Station, that have been closed to the public since 2017, is to protect officer numbers as much as possible and to prioritise tackling violence. The Mayor’s top priority has always been to keep Londoners safe and it is right that frontline policing is prioritised over buildings that are no longer needed nor fit for purpose.

 “Today, there is a 24-hour police front counter in every London borough, alongside telephone contact centres, a new website, social media and a strengthened dedicated police team in every ward in the city to ensure Londoners have a wide range of options for contacting their police.

 “Thanks to the record levels of City Hall investment in the Met and the Government’s partial reversal of cuts, officer numbers are rising. Consequently, a review of the Met’s entire estate is underway in order to look at the long-term plans for police stations and the potential impact from an increase in police officers. However the Met are confident that Teddington Police Station is not required for the estate to meet officer growth requirements and therefore the sale of the property will commence in due course. ” 

posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 1:00 am