The deputy London mayor in charge of policing is to visit Brixton today to speak to residents on the eve of huge cuts to the Metropolitan Police’s budget.
Stephen Greenhalgh will visit Brixton Electric, Brixton Hill, at 6pm to answer questions from members of the community about the future of policing in the borough.
Lambeth’s cabinet member for community safety, cllr Jack Hopkins, has called on residents to join him at the meeting to get assurances from the deputy mayor about safer neighbourhood teams and access to police despite the planned closure of three police stations in Lambeth.
In a letter to colleagues, Cllr Hopkins said: “The future has been uncertain for some time leading up to and since the Olympics, but it is clear that we are facing a huge challenge to keep each and every corner of Lambeth safe.
“It is vital we make our voices heard with a consistent and realistic message from right across the borough.”
The Met Police announced last week that it plans to sell some 65 stations across London in a struggle to save more than £500million before 2015. Lambeth currently has Streatham, Brixton and Kennington stations open 24 hours per day, but this would be reduced to just Brixton under the plans.
Hopkins went on to demand an assurance from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) that local bases for SNTs would not be lost.
He said: “The threatened closure of Gipsy Hill, Clapham and Streatham Police stations means that officers will be clocking on in Brixton and then getting the bus which is a waste of Police time. Not enough has been done to find suitable alternatives.”
Attendance at the event is free, though people are encouraged to register here: http://www.london.gov.uk/events/policing- and-crime-consultation-events
