A new community policing hub has officially opened in Kidbrooke Village, South London, through a landmark partnership between the Met Police, Berkeley Homes, and the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The hub, which is the first of its kind, brings frontline officers closer to the communities they serve and is part of a wider drive to strengthen neighbourhood policing.
Jointly funded by the Met, the council, and Berkeley Homes, the new base will allow up to 24 officers covering six wards to be stationed much closer to the areas they patrol—many now within a 20-minute walk of their designated beats. Officers were previously based in locations such as Sidcup and Woolwich, which are both at least 20 minutes away by car.
The new facility was officially opened on Tuesday (15 July) by Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes, who said: “Across the Met we are focused on tackling the crimes that matter most to Londoners and we have made significant progress in reducing neighbourhood crime – with a 19 per cent reduction in offences since April.
“House building is important for London – but as the city grows it inevitably puts extra pressure on local policing teams at a time when we’re having to make tough choices.
“Working closely with councils and developers will be key to ensuring more officers can be based near to the areas they serve – and I’d like to thank Berkeley Homes and the Royal Borough of Greenwich for their support in ensuring our teams remain at the heart of their communities.”
Greenwich Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Okereke, added: “We’ve invested, alongside Berkeley Homes and the police, to bring a new police base to Kidbrooke. This means more police on our streets, supporting the community and understanding the patch. They’ll be able to respond quicker and be more of a presence, which we know residents really care about.”
The move comes as the Met continues to focus on reducing crimes across London. So far this financial year, knife crime is down by over 18%, residential burglary by nearly 18%, and personal robbery by 12.8%.
Cllr Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “We know how much residents care about having local police in their communities, available to respond to calls and get on the scene quickly. That’s why, along with our partners, we’ve put funding into making this a reality in Kidbrooke, a growing area that more and more people are calling home.”
Paul Pritchard, Development Director at Berkeley, also commented on the collaboration: “After the closure of many facilities, it is a tribute to all who have helped ensure we have been able to open this new facility. We look forward to the Met’s presence once again, helping to reinforce a safer neighbourhood for Kidbrooke and the wider area and further strengthening this already resilient and sustainable community.”
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
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