Whilst we are very pleased that Wanstead Police Station is to get a 25-officer team to work on burglary cases, there are still some vital questions which have yet to be answered; the Guardian’s front-page story of 4th August “Wanstead Police Station – saved” may give a false sense of security.
The public need to be aware of the following points:
- An additional 25 officer team based at Wanstead is great news, but for how long? No indication has been given if this is permanent or temporary measure.
- No assurance has been given by the Mayor of London, Scotland Yard or the Borough Commander that the station will not be sold off in the next 12–24 months.
- No assurance has been given that the front counter service will not be closed.
Whilst we may be perceived as putting a dampener on a good news story, these questions do need to be answered. Just because a station gets a new team does not mean it wont be closed, or those services withdrawn in the very near future. We’re sure that those of us who read the local press remember the recent withdrawal of Safer Neighbourhood Teams from Woodford – which are only 5 years old.
The other point to be made is that the society fully supports the Police. We all know they don’t want to lose staff and stations – our campaign is their campaign. But to make it work, it needs your support. There is a Mayoral election in 9 months. This is an election issue!
Save our stations, save our force!