It would appear that the Met police are wanting major changes in the realtionship with the public.

There is a documant around which is a review of the Polce property portfolio.

They are claiming that many of our police stations may not be fit for purpose or is this just an excuses to transfere all the buildings and land that they own into cash and then use PFI contracts ( which always seem to cost more in the end and have many other diffuculties).

Certainly there seems to be a prefered modle to reduce the number of police stations open to the public. have mini prisons as cell blocks and put coppers into office block accomodation.

I can see some merit in part of the plans some of the accomodation is poor- mainly due to lack of propper maintanance and an appallingly expencive out sourced contract for maintainance (£3000 to replace some low quality carpet tiles which you could by for £200 and lay your self in 10 mins)

But waht I am really concerenced about is the interface with the public. Cop shops have been tried and failed as in west norwood ( not enough secrity to put in police computers) S/N hood offices serve a purpose but we want the coppers out on the street coppering- in any case if these offices are to be open to the public for reporting you will need a lot of extra staff.

A minor point but I feel important is that Police stations are iconic in the built environment - the blue lamp etc- I put them in the same class as post offices's pubs and churches. they are part of the fabric of society. Some are even worth listing

Personally I belive many of even our older police stations can be modernised nothing wrong with centralised cell units that makes sence but keep police stations open to the public even if it is only to take a lost and found dog- We need swomewhere we all know of the top of our head

I fear the bean counters will win and not common sence

For futher information contact you local police station if it is open

It's no good taking a lost dog to the police station - they are no longer responsible for dealing with them and will advise you to take it to the appropriate local authority. In Croydon, that means taking the dog down to Stubbs Mead depot.

It's starting to sound like post offices - gradually take away the services that kept them essential to the community as a whole, then close them because they cost too much. The bean counters know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

There's a lot of reassurance knowing that my local police station in South Norwood is there and open all the time - for the moment.

I thought the police didnt deal with the public anymore anyway ! The only presence I see in the norwood area is where the community police hang out in sainsburys !

They are still petrified of going into the labrynth in the central hill estate !

Sorry the only use I have for the police is that they can give a crime reference so I can claim my insurance nothing less ! I informed them that I knew there was a crime wave in the area information that they was relunctant to give me.

Unfortunately its a look after number 1 policy with me !

Dazza

Took my daughter (5) to the funfair in CPP and she was a little perturbed by the police presence there. 2 Hoolivans and at least a dozen old bill parading around. Now I know there was trouble there last week, but 2pm on Saturday? Was that really necessary? When, as previously mentioned surely they could be deployed elsewhere on more pressing things?

Oh and £1 entrance fee the the fair for 'charity' is an absolute disgrace. Good fair though, littl'un had a great time

Sadly, the additional presence was neccessary to avert the arrival of gangs from across south london that may have blighted somewhat your afternoon out, had the police not been there in presence and numbers they were. The "trouble" the previous weekend sadly been a young man stabbed.....me thinks that perhaps the presence might actually have averted the same again.

Like a lot of correspondents, rumour and self-interpretation of policing and / or the climate of crime is sorely wide of the mark. Perhaps with some active participation in the local safer neighbourhood panels the influence and knowledge of local policing would be very much improved.

http://www.met.police.uk/saferneighbourhoo...ghbourhoods.htm

the above link may assist.

regards

john

someone was stabbed? ARGH!!! this is ridiculous ...

I got off the number 3 Bus on Thursday at 4:30p.m. last week at the terminus, to find the Police keeping 2 groups of drunks apart. Smashed glass everywhere. Am I correct in thinking that the 'Fun Fair' owners are the same lot that organised the appalling Firework Display last Novemmber?

As far as the "fun fair" is concerned, it was ever thus. I only wish the police had been out in such numbers back in the days when I used to visit as a boy.

I seem to recall it being a general breeding ground for bullies and muggers (mind you, I seem to recall ALL fun fairs as being like this)

John D does seem to make a valid point. Getting involved does daesseem to make conciderable difference to the way we are policed and in reducing the fear of crime. I have become involved and it never failsd to asstound me in what difficult circumstanes they have to work in . For every good idea that comes up there is either no mony to impliment some real preventative measureor they have to go ro the council for money who then take six months to talk about or you get some small fraction who can influnce one of the too many poweres to be to get it stopped as it might upset some body.

I say let the police get on with there job with some stears from the communty give them back the money to do things and keep tjhem away from councils as they take too long to make a decision.

Richard is right.

participation rather than anticipation is in deed the key. I hope to prove this by regular offerings. I have been your safer neighbourhood Police Inspector
for Streatham and Norwood since the end of September last year. Progress I hope is happening, if too slowly for both community and those within
your police service who believe police are there to police.

I welcome your comments, good or bad, even indifferent. I cant gauge how well / poorly we do unless you participate with my colleagues and
the people who tell my officers what they want them to work on: SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD WARD PANELS: Gipsy hill, thurlow park, knights hill.

my work e-mail for those wishing constructive engagement: john.duffy@met.police.uk

I hope as time goes by we can discuss the community issues, my basis being honesty is best policy...........but that applies to unrealistic expectations and / or uninformed
comment on the work your police do or at least try to do on your behalf.

John, thanks, this is interesting. We had a problem at our house and I reported it to the safe neighbourhood team and they did ring me about coming round. We weren't going to be home when they wanted to come so I said I'd call back to arrange. I did and left voicemail. Then a man rang and said my ward had changed and I had to call someone else. So I did and left a message but nobody called back. I'm not sure where to go from there.

This took a while, mainly due to our availability, but it has now been a longer time because I don't know who to call any more. This seems a shame as the teams said they wanted to know everything to trace patterns and try to stem the crime flow. Any advice gratefully acted upon. Thanks.

E-mail me at my work address above, I'll ensure your team contacts you if its one Im responsible for. They genuinely are trying to get over the understandable public cynicism of SN work.
regards
John

Prompted perhaps by the question in last week's mayoral debate on Question Time?

John - do you cover Upper Norwood ward on the Croydon side as well?

Not the croydon side, but I'll point you in the right direction as to who you need to speak to for whatever your concern you have.

my work e-mail again is: john.duffy@met.police.uk

please make use of me, if i dont cover your area I,ll get you the person who does. I have a passion to get the MPS into the
the customer service era ! I forgive your cynical laugh, judge me as I go.

John D

Really liking your attitude here. Speaking personally as someone who has a bit of apathy towards the police, i find your attitude refreshing. You have a thankless task in a job i would never take on in this day and age.

Cheers
COYI

Thank-you. I mean that genuinely,I hope that I might restore some faith in a service that to be frank has drifted away from what it was set up for.

The seven safer neighbourhood teams I lead in Streatham and Norwood, work to what you decide. Getting that point across to a rightly sceptical public
is taking time, having policed south london for 19 years i share the public fustration.

I'd welcome a forum discussion topic were you could question me, and I could give you some immediate upto date crime information. I do this with your
local councillors, and your safer neighbourhood panel chairs on a fortnightly basis by e-mailed newsletter. Anyone resident within my wards is welcome to receive
such by e-mailing their details to my work address.

currently my teams are working to curb a very recent night-time burglary team working between early hours in the south croxted road area. My problem
is the natural cynicism of police effectiveness is hampering information into my teams at thurlow park and knights hill. If you give me a specific forum on here that
doesnt bore your contributors i can offer upto date prevention advice regarding emerging problems that might prevent people becomming victims.

For what its worth, there are some very hard working officers, ignoring political issues, who are desperate to give you the service you not only pay for, but rightly deserve.

Normally I am your biggest critic but after last weeks episode of rubbish dumped on my Property I cant thank the norwood team for sorting out quick enough.

I know your job is tough but why is there no presence in the estate on central hill & near Gipsy Hill station the place is littered with little tell tale plastic bags & swarming of groups of bored feral youths which is a recipe for disaster !

Be sure to thank the guys from the Norwood team regards the clean up ( Orleans Rd/Rockmount Rd) credit where credit is due !

Dazza

Your Norwood Sgts are:

Matt Cox @ Knights Hill ward based @ Tulse Hill SN base 186 Norwood Road (opp Tulse Hill BR)
Dave Robinson @ Thurlow Park based @ Tulse Hill SN base 186 Norwood Road
Lee-Ann Mills @ Gipsy Hill based @ Gipsy Hill police station

Please get involved with your local safer neighbourhood panels, try it, if you think its working then influence it. If not, contact me directly
by my e-mail or my mobile (07795 603 219).

The three Sgts are amongst the best I have known,all hugely committed..........they need your help,direction and information.
regards

john

Ladies and Gents,
Without wishing to bore you witless(particuarly those not within the lambeth borough policing sphere).

There is a consulatation process on how LAMBETH borough police operates in the next medium term of 5 - 10 years.

This process has a unique title of " WALRUS 2". (Walrus 1 being the previous re-configuration of the borough in 2001)

It involves the following: in particular to Norwood residents:

What officers and capabilities may / will be held at Streatham / Gipsy Hill police stations.
What the future of those stations may be
Were the command and control officers / systems will exist.

This is all part of a borough wide structural reform. Issues that may seem irrelevant on geographical grounds may affect your
area as resources could be redeployed, e.g custody facilities at streatham.

If you would like to make a contribution, find out more, or just plainly get involved please e-mail me and I'll point you in the right direction if I can't assist.


IT IS VITAL YOU HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE PROCESS TO DECIDE WHAT FORM YOUR POLICING TAKES.


Sorry to bore you ! You pay the bill.....You should have your say!

john e mail: john.duffy@met.police.uk

As in I Am The Walrus? Someone in the force must have a sense of humour .......

Mister city policeman sitting
Pretty little policemen in a row.
See how they fly like lucy in the sky, see how they run.
I'm crying, i'm crying.
I'm crying, i'm crying.

What does that tell us about the future of policing in Lambeth?

But seriously, thanks for letting us know what's going on.