Sir,
The Mayor of London must take responsibility for his decision to close Wimbledon Police Station.
Sadiq Khan is pressing ahead with his plan to shut our local police station and sell off the land despite local residents making it clear his proposal is totally unacceptable.
It was recently revealed however that the Mayor is sitting on £240million of reserves allocated for policing in London. He is the one choosing not to spend this money. Yet his plan to close Wimbledon Police Station will put at risk the safety of people who live and work here in our community.
Mayor Khan claims that there is no significant operational issue with closing Wimbledon Police Station. This is not true. There will be no operational hub in Wimbledon and Mitcham Police Station is simply not big enough to take on all the functions of Wimbledon Police Station. Worryingly, it seems there is no plan for local policing beyond selling off our police station and hoarding the cash.
Residents and councillors have already noticed an increase in certain types of crime and anti-social behaviour, including graffiti in the town centre. This is precisely why having a police station located right in the centre of Wimbledon is so important.
I would like to thank the more than 4,000 people who signed our petition on the police station which, with Stephen Hammond MP, we handed in at City Hall.
The safety and quality of life of local residents is paramount for me and my fellow Conservatives. We will do everything we can to oppose Mayor Khan’s decision. Despite this setback, we will not give up the fight to persuade him that he is wrong to close our local police station.
Cllr Oonagh Moulton
Leader of the Conservative Group on Merton Council