Council leader slams plan to close doors of Tottenham Police Station to public

Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet says she is “extremely concerned” over proposed closure by the Met Police, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Tottenham Police Station with (inset left) Peray Ahmet and (inset right) Ajda Ovat

Haringey’s council leader is “extremely concerned” over Metropolitan Police plans to close nearly half the capital’s police front desks – including the one at Tottenham Police Station.

Over the summer the Met confirmed a fresh wave of station front desk closures in London, breaking a 2024 election promise by Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan to maintain a 24/7 police counter in each borough.

The front desk at Tottenham Police Station is proposed to be shut along with the one in Edmonton, in the neighbouring borough of Enfield. However, a new one is set to open at Wood Green Police Station, intended to cover both boroughs policed under the Met’s north area command unit.

The proposals, which are planned to take effect at the end of the year, will see the number of desks across the capital cut from 37 to 19, saving the Met an estimated £7million a year.

In a joint statement, Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet and cabinet member for communities, Ajda Ovat, said that given the “high crime” rates of both Tottenham and Edmonton, they have written to Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in a bid to keep the desks open.

The senior Labour councillors said: “We understand the budgetary pressures facing the Met and that the way people are reporting crime is shifting.

“However, we are extremely concerned about the proposed closure of the front desk at Tottenham Police Station and the serious impact it would have on our residents.

“Together we have written to the commissioner highlighting our concerns and the need for the front desk at Tottenham Police Station to remain open.

“The proposed full closure of the Tottenham Police Station and Edmonton Police Station front desks would result in the complete absence of a public-facing counter service between Edmonton and Tottenham.

“Given that this corridor has been identified as a high-crime priority area and designated as a ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ site, we believe this location is of strategic importance and requires careful consideration.

“It is vital that our residents do not lose access to a front desk that holds historical significance and serves as a long-established point of support and connection for the community.”

Khan, who oversees the work of the Met Police commissioner, called the move “pragmatic” and said “very few people” used the counters, claiming the money would be better spent on neighbourhood policing.

He told the London Assembly this month: “It was made clear that what matters most to Londoners is visible policing in their communities,”.

“In the face of devastating cuts to policing […] the Met faces a stark financial situation.

“This has led to them needing to make a number of tough choices.”

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