Police Station closures cause 'increased violence, reduce police effectiveness and reduce the crime reporting rate,' new report finds. 

Research by Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) show that the closure of police stations has persistently increased violent crimes in areas near to closed stations. 

The Liberal Democrat opposition have been campaigning for the reopening of Ealing and Southall Police Stations which have closed since 2017.

Ealing Lib Dems claim the closures are consistent with lower deterrence and police effectiveness, reduced clearance rates and reduced reporting of non-violent offences.

In London, 70% of police stations have closed, and the centralised police workforce have been required to move to remaining stations where possible.

Local police in have told the Lib Dems that due to the time it takes to travel to and from police stations it can take up to a whole shift to arrest, process and deal with the paperwork for a single suspect. 

With the closure of west London police stations including Ealing and Southall, suspects are often transported to police stations further away such as Colindale or Heathrow.

According to Ealing police, it can take two to three hours to do a round trip from Ealing to Colindale during peak hours.

Key conclusions from the IFS' report find:

1. Police station closures lower police deterrence and increase violence nearby closed stations. Estimates show that violent crimes, measured as assaults and murders, increase by 11%. This is a persistent impact. 
2. The decline in police effectiveness is due to reduced police ability to investigate/collect evidence to clear crimes, resulting in a 3.7% drop in baseline clearance rate.
3. Police station closures discourage citizens' cooperation with law enforcement and accounts for 17% decline of the baseline reporting rate. This decline in reporting is associated with a reduction in respondents' confidence in police effectiveness.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Connie Hersch Crime, Communities and Town Centres, comments: "Liberal Democrats believe that there is a direct correlation between Labour's police station closures and fewer police on our streets.

"We have seen an increase in crime and antisocial behaviour especially around our train and tube transport hubs and the Liberal Democrats have pledged to restore proper community policing and put bobbies back on the beat.

"Liberal Democrats will always put your safety as our priority, such as reversing Ealing Labour's light dimming policy which put residents at risk."

Ealing Liberal Democrats are currently campaigning to keep Ealing and Southall police stations open. To find out more click here.