Kenley Police station could be closed to save money
THE future of Kenley Police Station is in doubt, the Met admitted this week.
Amid widespread cuts, the force has confirmed that closing the station would "deliver substantial savings" that could "protect operational capability".
Plans to move the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), which comprises five officers, to Purley are being considered but the force denies that relocating would signal the automatic or immediate closure of the station.
A police spokesman said: "We are looking at the option of relocating the Kenley SNT back to the dedicated safer neighbourhoods base in Purley, but no final decision has been made at this stage.
"Safer Neighbourhood officers spend a very small proportion of their time inside a police building and the vast majority of their time will still be spent patrolling in their own ward."
Figures show that after the SNT moved back to Kenley in 2010, motor vehicle crimes dropped 25 per cent compared to 2009, while crackdowns on fly-tipping and speeding at Hayes Lane were launched.
But Kenley Safer Neighbourhood Panel chairman Phil Royse, 66, said that although a potential abandonment of the building would be disappointing, frontline services would not be compromised.
He added: "It is not good for a lot of people in Kenley, particularly for those who want to have their iconic police station remain.
"But when you really look at the choice of maintaining buildings vs keeping officers on the streets there is no question maintaining the level of officers is more important.
"It is also true to say that officers who would be patrolling in fast response vehicles with all the equipment and computers to access information about suspects will be able to respond much better than an officer who is sitting at Kenley Police Station and would take much longer to attend incidents on foot."
Speaking about the station's potential closure, a police spokesman said: "The police estate contains more than 800 buildings, many of which provide poor working conditions for staff, are inefficient for modern-day policing and are being replaced by more modern, efficient and geographically responsive facilities.
"We are reviewing the whole of the property estate to ensure we are making best use of it and identifying efficiency savings that can be reinvested into operational policing.
"As part of this we are also looking at police facilities in Croydon, including Kenley Police Station.
"This includes the public access review, which will determine whether the front counter at Kenley is still required.
"No decisions have been made and no proposals for 2012/13 or later have yet been put, but this could provide an opportunity to improve the estate at the same time as providing substantial savings that will allow the Met to protect operational capability."
Kenley's borough councillor, Steve O'Connell, said: "I am absolutely committed to making sure Kenley Police Station stays open.
"It is in an important strategic location in the borough and I will do everything in my power to make sure that it stays."
4 Comments
by bagpus123
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:35PM
“Quite right bondski,its the same with purley hospital,why hasnt that been closed, because of the area its in, full of big cheeses”
by bondski
Thursday, February 09 2012, 7:40AM
“I have to agree with Pathfinders - all of us are scrambling to keep our SNTs period and also to keep them fully staffed without losing say the sergeants. With the promise from the then Toby Harris Chair of MPA,the safer neighbourhood teams that were rolled out over London was and is a good idea to tackle anti social behaviour and also to hear about different levels of criminality by listening to the public, without any police officer abstractions , however it is expensive and every aspect of savings is being looked at, I dont live near Addington, in our area too, there are savings being made and this is having an impact on service - all of us are "fighting" to retain a police presence within our neighbourhood not just Kenley.”
by Pathfinders
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 10:43PM
“Hmmmmm. The Police Station in Addington Village was made part-time some years ago - a bad move which has had a detrimental impact.
The Fieldway SNT team now covers Heathfield as well, and both they, and the New Addington SNT team share an office (which has never had a manned counter) at Central Parade.
Our SNT teams now have to rely on local businesses to fund their car ....... !
Sorry Kenley team, but if you need any advice or tips on how to cope, I'm sure our local teams will support you ;)”
by bondski
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 8:10AM
“There has always been rumour and conjecture about the future of Kenley Police Station, over ten years ago there was speculation about its future yet is has survived. I asked why this was, to a serving police officer, and the answer was that there were too many "big cheeses" living in the area. I wonder if they have moved on and we are back to the closure proposal?
How many of these older police stations like say Kenley and Norbury are of listed quality? that would set the cat amongst the pigeons if some of these fine old purpose built properties became listed.”