Revised plan for police front counters as MPS looks to close £260m funding gap

Two front counters will remain open 24 hours a day at the busiest sites – Charing Cross and Lewisham – while a further 25 will be geographically spread across London and operate Monday to Friday, 10am until 10pm, and 9am until 7pm at weekends.

Seven more front counters will remain open than under a provisional proposal, after Londoners made clear that keeping one in their area was more important than having them available 24/7.

Tower Hamlets Council recently persuaded the MPS to reverse its decision to close the front counter at Bethnal Green police station – the only remaining police station with a front counter in the borough.

Councillor Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Integrated Enforcement, said: “If you are a victim of crime, many people would prefer to speak to a police officer face-to-face rather than having to report it through a website. It was simply unacceptable for Tower Hamlets residents to have to travel to other boroughs to report crime where they live. We are glad that the police listened to our concerns.”

The MPS said its plans for front counters still delivers the same savings of £7 million as the force continues to prioritise its resources on frontline policing, “making tough choices” to close a £260 million funding gap.

The new model balances the savings with the desire for local access with the need to focus stretched resources on operational policing. The location of front counters will now be better aligned with the location of custody suites and demand, the MPS said.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “The Met is having to shrink to live within its means and as the public would expect, we are targeting our resources on a narrower set of their priorities to make London safer.

“Londoners tell us they want more visible and responsive policing on the capital’s streets and that is exactly what we are going to deliver.

“But we have also listened to their views during an extensive engagement process and, while our funding gap means we must reduce provision, we will keep more front counters open across London.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: “The news that more police front counters will remain open – with extended opening hours – for members of the public is welcome.

“Whilst this is an operational policing decision, this action would not have been possible without record-breaking funding from City Hall. We will continue to support the Met to deliver what Londoners want – boosting visible neighbourhood policing on our streets and making local officers more accessible in our communities.

“We want to do more to build on the record reductions in violence and homicides achieved in the capital, and I will continue to support the police and make the case to government for the funding the Met needs – to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone.”

The MPS said changes to front counter provision reflect the “rapidly changing nature of crime reporting”, with 95 per cent of reports made by the public online, over the phone, or directly with officers.

It added: “These changes will free-up over 2,900 hours of police officer time per month – ensuring officers and staff are in the roles where they are best placed to drive down crime.

“The decisions on front counters have been made carefully based on public and operational demand, geography and feedback through a public engagement process in every area of London.”

The MPS said Londoners will continue to be able to book appointments to see an officer and report a crime, access video appointments, phone 999 and 101, report online and contact their local ward officers, and phones will be installed outside closed front counters to minimise the impact.

In addition, the MPS is continuing to expand its visible local policing.

“In addition to the 300 PCSOs and 300 officers we invested last year, we have also have continued to invest, with a further 400 officers being posted into priority neighbourhood posts to ensure greater visibility of officers in our communities,” it said.

“This is one of 15 tough choices the Met is having to make, as it prioritises its resources on the issues that matter most to Londoners, such as tackling neighbourhood crime and serious violence.”

The reduction is part of a much wider change programme – where the MPS is making cuts and efficiencies incrementally over the year to close the funding gap and restructuring to redistribute officers and staff so they can work in the most effective places to deliver for London. Much of this work is well underway:

Already, £33 million has been saved through non-workforce efficiencies by streamlining support services, implementing greater controls and improving value for money for on commercial arrangements. By the end of the financial year, the MPS said it aims to save £75 million.

“Thirteen of our 15 tough choices are complete or are currently being implemented with the remaining two in the final stages of their structural design,” the MPS said. “By the end of November, we will have closed the dedicated Royal Parks team, and reduced our dogs unit, mounted branch and historic crime team.

“As part of our restructure, 4,800 officers and 700 staff are moving from their current roles into ones that align with our core policing priorities and budget. Already 400 officers and 400 staff have moved, half of all officer and staff moves will have taken place by December 2025, with the remainder taking place by March 2026.”

The force says its front line is restructuring and officers have moved out of roles that do not meet core policing priorities such as Schools Officers, Police Liaison Officers in courts and Community Liaison Officers. Instead officers have moved into roles that directly tackle driving down crimes that mean the most to Londoners such as robbery and shoplifting..

The MPS has also launched a new way for Londoners to hear about neighbourhood policing called ‘Met Engage’ and says it will look to hold more frequent safer neighbourhood surgeries in local community spaces such as libraries, family hubs, local food banks and shopping centres, as well as collaborating with local authorities and partners to signpost the public to appropriate safer spaces and support organisations.