Twenty years ago there were four police stations serving our borough. Now, three have closed their doors for good and RBKC Met Police are now based at Hammersmith Police station.
The last remaining station on Earl’s Court Road now only houses the Safer Neighbourhood teams and Rough Sleeper initiative. The result of this lack of resources has been increased response times, a rise in anti-social behaviour, and residents hiring their own protection in parts of our Borough.
Police trained and equipped to deal with serious crimes must now often be brought in from other boroughs. In situations where seconds count, a police response is now many minutes away.
Over the last 5 years we have seen a surge in thefts and anti-social behaviour in our borough. These are the kinds of crimes that are detered by visible police in our communities. Bereft of support, many residents have begun employing expensive private security guards for their streets.
A better approach is needed to solve this issue. Police should be visible in our communities, but provisions must also be made to prevent crimes in different ways. More youth clubs, as well as preventative education in schools can all help reduce crime. The Met, the Mayor, and the Council need to take responsibility for residents’ safety. This Conservative-run council has ignored residents’ pleas for more police and now our communities are paying the price. Please help us hold this Conservative-run council, the Met, and the Mayor to account.
Reopen Police Stations in K&C
We, the undersigned, call on the Mayor of London to reopen police stations in Kensington and Chelsea and put more police on our borough’s streets, so we can return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and known personally to local people.