1 IN 2 POLICE STATIONS IN LONDON ARE INCONTACTABLE
March 21, 2007 10:30 AM
Research carried out by Dee Doocey, Liberal Democrat Policing spokesperson on the London Assembly, shows that 46% (65 out of 141) of police stations in London do not answer the phone for non-emergency enquiries.
The research follows a similar survey carried out in 2003, where results showed that 39% (52 out of 132) of police stations were uncontactable. The survey also showed an improvement in response times amongst police stations which were contacted from 1 min 30 seconds in 2003 to 20 seconds in 2007.
Commenting on the findings, Dee Doocey said:
"Four years on from our last survey, these results show the Met to be more distant and uncontactable. Londoners now face silence at the end of the line for just under half the capital's police stations, a disgrace by any standards.
'If the private sector don't answer the phone, they loose money. If the police don't answer the phone, they risk loosing intelligence. Sir Ian Blair repeatedly tells Londoners that defeating terrorism is all about good community intelligence. But if staff in police stations are not answering calls, how is this supposed to happen?
'Last year's damming Audit Commission report suggested a link between poor police station response rate and unreported crime. It is imperative that intelligence surrounding the recent stabbings in Hammersmith and Plaistow - whose police stations' response times are amongst the worst in the capital- is not lost because of unmanned telephones."
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