Local Policing Model has now come into effect
Changes to the way policing is taking place have started. The police have issued the following information for local residents.
From Monday 2nd September, the way that you can contact your local police is changing. Following the public consultation by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime that took place earlier this year, Hounslow Police are now ready to launch their new public access plan. This plan is part of the Local Policing Model , the Met's commitment to get more police officers onto the streets of Hounslow, working later into the evening, to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
You will have seen press reports talking about the £500 million that the Met has to save over the next few years. This is not about fewer officers - Hounslow have bolstered their neighbourhood teams by over 50 staff in the last year. Closing down and selling some of the Met's buildings has allowed these savings to be made whilst increasing the number of cops on the streets.
How do I contact police?
You will still be able to speak to police, face to face, at a time convenient to you. You can call police on 101, 24 hours a day, for non-emergency matters. Some crime , including criminal damage, some thefts, hate crime can be reported via the Met's website at www.met.police.uk . Of course in an emergency, you should always call 999.
Are some police stations being sold?
Yes, but only one. Brentford Police Station will close its doors for the last time on Sunday 1st September and will be put up for sale. It just wasn't being used enough to justify staying open. With only a handful of people using the facility each day, it makes more sense to get th ose officer s back out on patrol and make more flexible use of police stations and public access points around the Borough. The current front counter service at Feltham Police Station is also closing and the Chiswick front counter service will reduce its opening hours. Feltham and Chiswick Police Stations remain as patrol bases so there will still be officers responding to calls based at these stations. Hounslow Police Station front counter remains open 24hrs a day every day of the week; this is in line with the other 31 boroughs all of which will have one police station with 24 hour access with a number of other public access points.
Where can I go to speak to the Met?
From Monday 2nd September, there will be a number of locations around the Borough where you can speak to police:
Police Stations
1. Hounslow Police Station - open 24hrs a day, every day of the year
2. Chiswick Police Station - open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Public Access Points
1. Cornish House, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford Middlesex TW8 0DE
Every Wednesday 6pm - 8pm. Every Thursday 6pm - 8pm. Every Saturday 2pm - 4pm.
2. Feltham Police Station
Every Wednesday 6pm - 8pm. Every Thursday 6pm - 8pm. Every Saturday 2pm - 4pm.
3.Heston Library, New Heston Road. Heston, Middlesex. TW5 0LW.
Every Wednesday 6pm - 8pm. Every Thursday 6pm - 8pm. Every Saturday 2pm - 4pm.
Chief Superintendent Carl Bussey, Borough Commander for Hounslow says; "my officers are committed to being accessible to local people. Accessibility isn't about being stuck behind a desk - it is about
being on patrol in the local community, speaking to people in the street. We have had to make some changes to the opening hours of our front counters in order to get more cops on to the beat. I am delighted that two of our new public access points are at community venues - Cornish House and Heston Library and I am confident that our spread of police stations and contact points will allow the people of Hounslow to speak to us when they need to ."
Hounslow Neighbourhood Policing Teams hold regular street briefings around the borough each week, to speak to local people about their concerns and offer crime prevention advice. Details can be found via:
http://content.met.police.uk/Page/TeamFinder?scope_id=1257246764041
October 11, 2013