Concerns over the future of Mitcham police station have been confirmed following the release of the Met’s Police and Crime Plan.

Merton will retain a 24 hour front counter service at Wimbledon Station, but Mitcham Station will be downgraded to close at night and Morden Police Station will also be closed.

Instead, contact points will be set up across the borough open for three hours per week for non-urgent face to face contact with police officers at local places.

Tooting police station, which the Met says is too large to continue operating efficiently in the long term, will be downgraded to a contact point until a smaller alternative can be found.

Both Siobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, and Councillor Stephen Alambritis, leader of Merton Council, had spoken out about their concerns over a reduction in service at Mitcham Police station and the loss of safer neighbourhood team offices. 

Nine safer neighbourhood offices in Merton will be disposed of over a three to six year period with teams instead based out of Mitcham and Wimbledon stations.

Darren Williams, Merton's Borough Commander, said: "We will continue to use them as contact points and patrol bases but as their leases come up for renewal we will not renew their leases which will save in the region of £300,000."

He also intends to create a third base for officers out of the Civic Centre in Morden which would be open at the same time as the council's offices and provide a base in three of Merton's main centres.

The plans follow an eight week public consultation by the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) and are expected to shave £60m off the Met’s current £203m per year bill for maintaining its estate, allowing for the redeployment of nearly 4,000 police officers back onto the frontline.

Stephen Greenhalgh, Deputy Mayor for Policing, said: "This has been the most extensive public consultation ever carried out into policing in London and we have listened to what people want, which is to put bobbies before buildings.

“This plan is the only policing model which commits not just to making the Met far more efficient, but also protecting high officer numbers to ensure the best possible service for Londoners.”

 

Planned contact points - will be open every Wednesday and Thursday evening between 7 and 8pm and every Saturday afternoon between 2 and 3pm.

  • Aberconway Road, 35 Unit 2B, Morden, SM4 5LN
  • Alliance House, Ground Floor, Prince Georges Avenue, Raynes Park, SW20 8BH
  • One O’Clock Club, Wimbledon Park, Home Park Road, SW19 7HP
  • 70 South Lodge Avenue, Pollards Park, Mitcham, CR4 1LW
  • Tooting Police Station