Lib Dems: Shocking figures reveal one police station closed every two weeks since 2015
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217 police stations and counters across England have closed since
2015, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have
revealed. It's the equivalent of over one police station closing
every two weeks in the past seven years under the Conservatives.
The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats through FOI
requests to every police force in England and Wales, with responses
London and the South East, in particular, have seen a staggering
fall in the...Request free trial
217 police stations and counters across England have closed since 2015, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. It's the equivalent of over one police station closing every two weeks in the past seven years under the Conservatives. The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats through FOI requests to every police force in England and Wales, with responses London and the South East, in particular, have seen a staggering fall in the number of police stations. Thames Valley Police, responsible for policing in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, has closed the most locations, with 23 stations and 44 counters closed since 2015. This includes 41 closures in 2016 alone. The Metropolitan Police is second in the country on stations closed, with 36 since 2015 – 31 of them in 2017. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will tomorrow (Tuesday 26 April) visit the site of a closed police station in Oxfordshire to demand more investment in community policing. Across England and Wales a total of 217 police stations and counters have been closed in the last seven years, with an average of 31 closures a year since 2015 – more than one per fortnight. Ahead of the local elections this May, the Liberal Democrats are urging a return to community policing, with a three-point plan to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour and reverse years of Conservative neglect:
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: “Shuttered police stations have become a symbol of the Conservatives’ failure on crime. Too many people feel unsafe on their own streets, and too many criminals are getting away with it. “The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on cutting crime. “This May people will have a chance to send Boris Johnson’s Conservatives a message. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for more investment in our police and youth services to help make our communities safer.” ENDS Notes to Editors Data was provided from 42 police forces, full data is available below.
Freedom of Information request below In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, I would be grateful if you could comply with the following request. Could you provide the following information: I would like to know the number of police stations and police counters that have closed in your Police Force area. I would like this information for each of the last seven calendar years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. I would like this data to be presented in an Excel or PDF spreadsheet with a new sheet for each year and a section on each point of information. If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request. Results from police forces in England and Wales responding to a Freedom of Information request from the Liberal Democrats: |