Hampstead Police Station

Call for guarantees over future of Hampstead police station

by Josh Pettitt, Reporter Saturday, March 17, 2012
7:00 AM

A residents group has put pressure on Camden’s chief of police to guarantee the future of Hampstead Police Station.

Unscheduled closures of the station in Rosslyn Hill have triggered fears that it could again be under threat after surviving a police review in 2009.

Hampstead Town’s Safer Neighbourhood Panel have written to Borough Commander Chief Supt John Sutherland to seek his assurance that it will stay open.

He said it would be “naive” to rule out the closure of police stations when he took over Camden Police in 2010.

Panel chairman William Wellbank said: “On many days it is closed and on some occasions we have seen people try to get into the station to report crime but have found the station closed.”

An officer from the borough’s response team has been manning the front desk after the premises lost a station officer.

A police community support officer has now been appointed on a trial basis to man the front desk but is unable to record reported crimes.

Officers from Hampstead’s under-strength Safer Neighbourhoods Team will be taken from patrolling duty to cover the desk at weekends.

Cllr Linda Chung said: “That’s totally against the principle of having Safer Neighbourhoods Team officers on the streets. All we want is the station to be open so that help is at hand.”

Camden Police say Chief Supt Sutherland will speak to residents later this month about their concerns.

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