Welcome relief for residents (From Harrow Times)

Welcome relief for residents

1:46pm Thursday 7th August 2003

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NEWS that Wealdstone police station is being saved from the chop will come as welcome relief to residents living on the eastern side of the borough.

Many had been extremely worried about what kind of effect not having an active police presence in the area would have on a part of Harrow that is trying to rebuild and rejuvenate itself. Recent crime statistics may have shown that Harrow is one of the safest boroughs in London, yet many living here don't see it that way.

The days of regularly seeing bobbies on the beat may have long gone, but even having officers patrolling the streets in cars is reassuring. A visible police presence does make us feel safer. Crime affects us all at some point, and its nice to know that if we were ever to become victims we can call the police to try and apprehend those responsible.

Police response times to 999 calls are bad enough as it is, but think how much worse it would be if you were to spot a crime happening in Canons Park but you had to wait for a police car to come all the way from South Harrow, the nearest alternative if the station in Wealdstone were to close.

The problem would still be there with lesser crimes such as vandalism and petty theft which often go unreported. If people had to trek across the borough to report a crime, the chances are they would be less inclined to bother.

A police station should be a focal point, and easy to locate, prominent fixture in any town. In Harrow we have already seen the closure of Pinner police station. Luckily, it was re-opened, but only when the local community decided enough was enough and some public spirited individuals volunteered to give up their spare time to keep it running.

Admirable indeed, but when you pay tax, surely there should be enough money to fund a fully fledged police service and functioning police stations. Should we have to resort to these lengths to have police stations in our towns?

Wealdstone police station should never have been under the threat of closure in the first place.

But it is reassuring that when the Metropolitan Police Authority realised the strength of opposition to plans to sell the grade-11 listed building, it had a change of heart.

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