Police should be located in London Underground ticket offices, says think tank
Police should be located in London Underground ticket offices to boost visibility and make it easier for the public to report crimes, a think tank has said.
A report, titled Boosting London’s Frontline Policing, by the Capital City Foundation, the London focused unit of leading think tank Policy Exchange, has argued "underground police points" would also help prevent victims and criminals to interacting in police stations.
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Glyn Gaskarth, author of the report, said: “Underground police points would dramatically increase the visibility of the police. The tube station is a more easily identifiable landmark than the local supermarket, town hall or library. Millions of Londoners would feel reassured to see the police at least twice a day travelling to and from work.”
The report says that as Transport for London ticket offices were closed in 2015, it would be sensible to convert some of these now vacant spaces.
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This move would help the police maintain a visible presence across London following the closure of sixty-three Police Front Office Counters between 2013 and 2016, the think tank said.
The ticket offices would be turned into underground police points only if they meet certain criteria, including that TfL has not already concluded a deal with a commercial partner to develop the ticket office and the ticket office is located in a high crime area.
The area would also have been subject to police front office counter closures and the ticket office would have to be located on one of the tube lines that will be open 24 hours a day when the Night Tube is introduced.