Nov/Dec 2021

20
South Woodford Village Gazette
Hotel Uniform Bravo!
With Woodford Police Station having been decommissioned and sold
earlier this year, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP explains why his successful
campaign for a policing hub in the local area was vital
Having listened to residents and police
officers alike, it is clear there was a
need for a policing hub in Woodford,
South Woodford or Woodford Green.
Following the Mayor of London’s wrongheaded
decision to close Woodford Police
Station, local Safer Neighbourhood Teams for
Monkhams, Churchfields and South Woodford
lost the police station they used as a base.
This means they have to travel to Barkingside
Police Station to use its facilities, often on
public transport.
This seems to be an extremely poor use of
police time and resources. Reducing the
travel time for the Safer Neighbourhoods
Teams would free up more resource hours to
tackle local crime. This extra police time will
be necessary to tackle the recent spate of
dog thefts and the thefts of cars and catalytic
convertors that are issues of real concern to
my constituents.
The need to travel long distances also impacts
the well-being and job satisfaction of officers,
who feel they spend more time travelling to
and from their wards than doing their job.
Residents, local officers and business owners
have spoken to me about the importance of
having designated police who understand
the neighbourhood, know the local
crime hotspots and build trust within the
communities they serve. The whole area will
benefit from a visible police base, which will
provide reassurance to residents and assist in
building relationships with the community.
Myself and local councillors are therefore
pleased that, as a result of our continuous
campaign, there has now been recognition of
the need for a police hub here, with the recent
Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
outside the former Woodford
Green Police station
announcement of a soon-to-be-opened
venue in Woodford, which will serve the
wards of South Woodford, Churchfields, and
Monkhams.
We held a public meeting with the Borough
Commander, Detective Chief Superintendent
Stephen Clayman, where residents discussed
the need for a stronger police presence in the
area. This was in addition to letters to both
the Detective Chief Superintendent and the
Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, and our
petition, which has been signed by almost
2,000 local residents.
I await further details from the Metropolitan
Police on where the hub will be based and
look forward to an official announcement
from Redbridge Council regarding when it will
be operational. I will continue to work with the
council and the police to ensure the residents
of Woodford have the resources that are
needed here. The simple yet vital truth is that
local people need to know the police officers
who work in their neighbourhoods and feel
reassured by a visible presence.
For more information on Sir Iain Duncan
Smith’s campaign, visit swvg.co.uk/ids
To advertise, call 020 8819 0595 or visit swvg.co.uk