Redbridge police officers could be based off the borough, says police chief

The borough commander was speaking to a packed public meeting about crime and anti-social behaviour in St Mary’s Church in High Road, South Woodford, on Friday. She was responding to concerns raised by members of the public and Cllr Linda Huggett, of Monkhams ward, over the future of Wanstead police station in Spratt Hall Road and Woodford police station in High Road, Woodford Green.

Mrs Williams said that should Wanstead station be sold off following a current Met Police review into front offices, safer neighbourhood (SNT) officers could patrol from Barkingside or Leytonstone.

She said: “Officers will be out on the [Redbridge] wards.

“We don’t have bases on 20 wards, we only have bases on seven wards.

“I’m pretty confident that Ilford [police station] would be unaffected but the rest, I will have to wait and see.”

Cllr Huggett said: “We want to know what measures are going to be taken so that the police presence is maintained.

“For the last two weeks, the counter at Woodford station was closed, that’s a concern.”

Mrs Williams said the Met had to make savings of £540m over the next four years.

She said: “There’s some 800 buildings in London and some will be very old buildings.

“They are not fit for modern policing.

“We do have some of those type of buildings on our borough.”

“If we don’t make the savings then those savings have to come elsewhere.

“If 82 per cent is in police pay, it doesn’t take much to work out that there will be an impact on police staff.”

Frank Cruder, of Chelmsford Road, South Woodford, said: “People are concerned that we do have somewhere in the area where police are based.”

Mrs Williams added that all Redbridge wards will retain SNTs and said if any police buildings in the borough were under review, the public would be consulted.

Recommendations by the Met on the building stock will be made to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in September.