Met launches new neighbourhood 'police hubs' to tackle community issues
A new partnership between a London borough council, a housing developer, and the Metropolitan Police will bring neighbourhood policing into the community.
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The Kidbrooke Village Community Police Hub opened on Tuesday, putting frontline officers at the heart of tackling issues affecting neighbourhoods in Greenwich.
Up to 24 officers covering six wards will be stationed at the hub, which will help the Met build on bringing down theft, burglary, robbery, anti-social behaviour, and retail crime across the city.
The space was funded by Berkeley Homes, the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Metropolitan Police.
Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said: "Across the Met we are focused on tackling the crimes that matter most to Londoners and we have made significant progress in reducing neighbourhood crime – with a 19 per cent reduction in offences since April.
"House building is important for London – but as the city grows it inevitably puts extra pressure on local policing teams at a time when we’re having to make tough choices.
"Working closely with councils and developers will be key to ensuring more officers can be based near to the areas they serve – and I’d like to thank Berkeley Homes and the Royal Borough of Greenwich for their support in ensuring our teams remain at the heart of their communities."
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Six neighbourhood teams will now be within a 20-minute walk of their wards and a further two will be based nearer to the areas they serve.
They were previously spread between bases in Mottingham, Sidcup and Woolwich – which are at least 20 minutes away by car.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "We've invested, alongside Berkeley Homes and the police, to bring a new police base to Kidbrooke. This means more police on our streets, supporting the community and understanding the patch.
"They’ll be able to respond quicker and be more of a presence, which we know residents really care about. This investment is part of our wider work to make sure Greenwich is kept safe."