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Changes to Lavender Hill Front Office Counter hours in Wandsworth |
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Dear Residents,
I am writing to inform you that from Tuesday 3 March 2026, the front counter at Lavender Hill Police Station will be changing its service to extended hours.
From Tuesday 3 March, our front counter will be open from Monday to Friday, 10:00 – 22:00, and Saturday to Sunday, 09:00 – 19:00.
If you need to report a crime in person outside of these hours, our front counters that are open 24 hours are:
Charing Cross Police Station 2 Agar St, London WC2N 4JP
Lewisham Police Station 43 Lewisham High St, London SE13 5JZ
Alternatively, you can report an incident by:
By use of the yellow phone outside of these hours if we are closed Visiting the Met Police website Calling the non-emergency number 101 For hearing or speech-impaired users, you can text 18000 to access our textphone service
If a crime is happening right now or if someone is in immediate danger, please call 999.
You can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form.
Why are these changes being made?
The way people contact the police has changed.
Since 2012, reports made at front counters have dropped by 60%. At some of the quieter locations, we’re seeing fewer than three reports a day. Overnight, only one in every 2,000 crimes is reported at a front counter.
We’re adapting to how Londoners engage with us. These changes help us to focus our resources on where communities need us most – visible, local policing that keeps our streets safe.
Won’t the reduction of hours and front counter closures make London less safe?
What makes London safer is as many officers as possible on the frontline, tackling and driving down crime.
Today, 95% of crime reports are made through other channels, not at front counters.
These changes will free up approximately 3,000 officer hours, allowing extra resources to investigate crimes, update victims and step-up our action on key priorities like knife crime, robbery and anti-social behaviour.
Will it make a difference?
We are investing significantly in neighbourhood policing, and we are already seeing results:
1,000 more arrests are being made each month. Neighbourhood crime is down, with double-digit reductions in personal robbery, theft from person, and vehicle crime. Knife crime has dropped significantly this year. And homicides are at their lowest since monthly records began in 2003.
The Met is reducing a £260 million funding gap. This means making tough choices to ensure our shrinking resources are focused where they have the greatest impact.
These changes will deliver £7 million of savings meaning we can focus as much resource as possible on frontline policing that keep you safe.
For us at Lavender Hill
The front office at Lavender Hill was initially considered for full closure as part of the overall restructuring part of tough choices. I led several focus sessions together with colleagues from our change team and the feedback that you as a community provided was pivotal in us being able to maintain a service which will help to support our Wandsworth communities.
Thank you all for what you have done to support me and the teams to understand your concerns as well as benefit us a community.
I also want to extend my thanks for all the other continued support you give us and to my hard working PCSOs, PCs and their respective leaders. Neighbourhoods Policing is a different place to what it was in the past and our performance continues to improve, and we appreciate your kind words of encouragement, support as well as feedback on how we can be better.
I am truly privileged to be leading a great team committed to serving us all in Wandsworth to provide for a safer community.
Yours sincerely Gani
Gani Rajan Head of Wandsworth Neighbourhoods Policing | ||
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