I am grateful to Barnet and Camden's Labour GLA member Andrew Dismore for his help in writing my speech for the emergency service cuts debate at full Council. Andrew's office wrote some useful information about what was going on in London and the wider context. You can see some of the information here.
Pressure has saved some hours of front desk service at Golders Green, but you need a phone if you live in Chipping Barnet. High Barnet, Whetstone, Borehamwood, Wonchmore Hill, Southgate and Hampstead are all losing their front desks, which is a real tragedy.
At full Council, the Tories did not want to do anything to stop the closure of these desks, even though High Barnet is represented by the Cabinet member for policing. I take the point about police needing to be ready to go to trouble, but closing front desks is not the way, and it doesn't explain the disasterous changes to safer neighbourhood teams. Reducing them to 1 officer and 1 PCSO will undermine the whole point of community policing.
