Last updated on 25 November 2025
Under Metropolitan Police plans to address a £260m budget shortfall, ten front counter at police stations across the capital are set to close.
While Kingston police station has avoided front counter closure, the hours will be reduced from 24/7 to 10am-10pm Monday to Friday and 9am-7pm at weekends. This change is due to take place by the end of the year.
We are told by our Neighbourhood Superintendent, Josh Laughton, that very few residents go to the police station in person at nighttime so, in his view, it will not make much difference.
We are fortunate that our Chessington police base, which covers two Safer Neighbourhoods Teams – Hook and Chessington North, and Chessington South and Malden Rushett, will remain. Although it does not have a front counter for the public, residents can make appointments to meet officers and the Police Community Support Officers run weekly face to face drop-ins at the King’s Centre in Coppard Gardens and the Hook Centre on Elm Road. You can find the dates and times of the drop-ins on our Dates for your Diary page.
Richmond borough’s remaining police station counter at Twickenham is set to close. Across the capital, the number of counters where you can speak to an officer will drop from 37 to 27, with just 2 of those (Charing Cross and Lewisham) staying open 24/7.
The Metropolitan Police says that only 5% of crimes were reported last year at front counters, with most people reporting crime by using their phone or laptop.
The proposed change contradicts a 2024 pledge given by Metropolitan Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, who promised at least one 24/7 front counter in every London Borough. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told the London Assembly on 6th August that these were “difficult choices” but would save £7 million a year. The move is part of a wider plan to cut £260 million by trimming services and axing around 1,700 officer and staff roles. It also breaks a long-standing promise from both the mayor and the Met to keep at least one counter open round the clock in each of London’s 32 boroughs.
Front counter closures aren’t new. Back in 2013, London had nearly 140 of them. Then-Mayor Boris Johnson shut 65, and in 2017, Mayor Sadiq Khan closed another 38 – leaving most boroughs with just one 24-hour counter.
Mr Twist said usage has dropped off since 2012, when 12% of reported crime came via station offices. Now it’s closer to 5% – around 50,000 out of a million crimes reported in London each year.
Despite the cuts, he said the Met is being reshaped to boost street-level policing: “These decisions are about making the Met more accessible and visible in neighbourhoods when the organisation is shrinking.”
Your Safer Neighbourhoods Team
Your Safer Neighbourhoods Team is a group of Met police officers dedicated to serving your community. The Safer Neighbourhoods Team…