Save Millbank House police front desk – update

Sushila Abraham with Councillors Malcolm Self and Liz Green

Thank you to everyone who has signed my petition to Save the Police front desk at Millbank House.

I have now sent the petition to the Conservative Mayor of London with this letter:

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Boris Johnson
Mayor of London
Greater London Authority
City Hall
The Queens Walk
More London
London SE1 2AA

Berrylands Liberal Democrats
21 Berrylands Road
Surbiton
KT5 8QX

Dear Mr Johnson,

I am writing to you enclosing the petition which I have been running in Berrylands against the plans to close the police front desk at Millbank House and the proposed cuts to the safer neighbourhood teams across Kingston.

My objection to the closing of the front desk is as follows. I have direct experience of the impact which a closing of a police station or front desk has on the level of crime in the surrounding area; its mere presence acts as a deterrent. Additionally, I am concerned about the impact which some of the alternative proposals will have on the level of crime reporting. For example, I would worry about erecting ‘pop up’ shops in coffee shops or supermarkets and expecting people to report serious crimes such as assault or rape which already have low rates of reporting. I fear that having to report such crimes in a public place will deter people who might already be nervous about doing so.

I do hope you will take my comments and the views of local residents into account when making these plans.

Yours sincerely,

Sushila Abraham
Liberal Democrat Campaigner for Berrylands Ward, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames