Are you being served?

Published on Mon 25th Sep 2006

Ever tried to report a crime lately? If so, your experience at the front counter of one London's local police stations might make you think twice about being a 'good citizen'.

Earlier this year, I toured police stations throughout London and was appalled by what I found:

· A filthy environment, with long waits to be served and nowhere to sit.

· Poor customer service and forbidding counter screens.

· Victims and criminals coming in through the same door.

Remedying this situation would not be expensive but would work wonders for the police's community relations:

· Regular cleaning, open counters and some chairs.

· Customer service training for desk officers, and adequate numbers of officers on duty at busy times.

· Separate areas for handling criminals.

Policing is effective only with the consent and involvement of local communities. Amongst other things, that means having welcoming local police stations where it is made easy for people to report crimes.

I am pressing the Met Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, to make some changes. In the meantime, I know that some local Liberal Democrats are campaigning on these issues. For example, the police are planning to install a 'Victim Focus Desk' (a place where victims of crime can be dealt with away from others) in every London borough by April next year. Users of Teddington Police Station could seriously benefit from this and I will be working to help Twickenham residents get one.

Please contact me (at dee.doocey@london.gov.uk) with your ideas and news of your local campaigns on this issue. The solutions are not rocket science and aren't expensive, but would make a big difference to the detection and prevention of crime in London.