"Maybe councillors should get behind this. It's got to be a vote winner after all."Councillors have worked hard to keep the police station open and in Chiswick and continue to do so. The reporting desk closed because so few people used it (the Met reported that it was used to report 1.2 crimes a day) but the Chiswick and Brentford police teams continued to work from Chiswick police station until late last year when Chiswick's team moved to Acton police station. Meanwhile, and long before we knew they would be moving to Acton (the indications were they would be moved further west), Turnham Green ward councillors tried hard to identify alternatives including, for example, discussing with Great Marlborough Estates (new owners of Empire House) the possibility of the police having space in one of the eight retail units there. Great Marlborough Estates was immediately positive (as it was also about the possibility of the post office moving there when its current lease ends). Timings didn't work for the police - Empire House retail units are not available yet. We looked at and provided information about many other alternatives including empty shops, space in various of our office rental spaces, sharing space within larger shops, the town hall, etc. The Met is insistent that it wants its team based in a police station. Chiswick residents, businesses and councillors want them here or, at least, with a base here where they can drop in, as others in this stream have said, to a desk, loo, kettle (I'm simplifying). I can assure you that we continue to work closely with our police teams - we all have strong relationships with our ward teams - to try to bring them back to Chiswick. It might be a vote winner but, more importantly, it's common sense.
Joanna Biddolph ● 1698d