The proposed closure of police stations in Ealing will have a “detrimental effect on policing”, a former Southall-based officer has said.

A number of changes have been proposed to policing in west London, due to £400m of cuts to the Metropolitan Police's budget.

As a result, a large audience at Ealing Town Hall was told that the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) had proposed the total closure of both Ealing and Southall police stations.

The closure of the stations would leave the only functioning police station in the borough located in Acton.

MOPAC chief executive Rebecca Lawrence, who spoke at the meeting earlier this month, suggested the proposed closure of police station front counters was linked with low footfall.

Chris Hobbs, an Ealing resident and a former police officer whose first posting as a probationer was to Southall, claimed the cuts would cause a “crisis in policing”.

“Depressingly, it became apparent that forthcoming cuts would have a detrimental effect on Ealing policing,” he said after attending the meeting.

Ealing police station faces the threat of closure

“The police team appeared to acknowledge that the concerns of the audience had real substance.

“I heard the news of the proposed closure of Southall police station with total dismay.

"I was determined to speak out but I needn’t have worried - it was being said for me."

Mr Hobbs continued: “The audience made it crystal clear that the question of ‘footfall’ together with telephone and digital means of communication was simply not acceptable.

“One female member of the audience summed it up nicely when she said, ‘We know that you are trying to defend the indefensible'.”

"Forthcoming cuts would have a detrimental effect on Ealing policing"

Cuts in Southall would mean Ealing police will lose eight cells and, as Chief Superintendent Paul Martin said at the meeting, station closures will mean the number of cells in London being reduced.

According to Mr Hobbs, this will result in officers with prisoners hunting around London for cell space when those on their borough are full, which can “add hours to the time a police vehicle is unable to deal will calls”.

The “less than impressed” audience then raised concerns about the implications of police station closures in Ealing on response times.

If proposals are approved, the only functioning police station in the borough will be in Acton

Borough commander Paul Martin suggested response officers start at different times so there are always vehicles patrolling, and added that Mobile Data Terminals would mean officers would have to return to stations less frequently.

However, former officer Mr Hobbs said those with policing experience knew that those furthest away from the 'mother' station would suffer from less frequent patrolling and poorer response times.

'Symbols of security'

He also suggested that closing police stations would mean “symbols of security” are lost, which will have a direct impact on the safety in the borough.

“Police stations are not simply all about reporting crime, ‘footfall’ and front counters," Mr Hobbs added.

“What appears to be lost on the powers that be is that police stations are symbols of security to all those living in that particular area.

“Take away the police station, especially in a town as vibrant as Southall, and you take away a chunk of security from every law-abiding individual and family living in the town.”

Local residents voiced concerns that the closures would impact on response times

The former Special Branch officer suggested that Ealing senior officers present were “less than happy with future plans” as envisaged by MOPAC and Scotland Yard's decision makers.

Towards the end of the meeting, it was announced that Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow are likely to be combined under one command.

This, according to Mr Hobbs, has been trialled elsewhere by Metropolitan Police and he claims it proved to be a “complete disaster with response targets collapsing”.

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