Closures of front counters in Merton

Dear Residents,  

I am writing to inform you of the following front counter closures for both Mitcham & Wimbledon Police Stations.

You may have heard about the front counter closures recently. These will form part of the future service delivery model for the Metropolitan Police Service.

From Friday 27th February 2026 at 1700 hours, Mitcham Police Station front counter will be closed. 

From Saturday 28th February at 1500 hours, Wimbledon Police Station front counter will be closed. 

There will no longer be public access or an ability to report at these stations.

There is a yellow emergency phone at the front of the station, for contact with police in case of an emergency.

If you need to report a crime at a police station in person, our front counters that are open 24 hours are: 

2 Agar St, London WC2N 4JP 

43 Lewisham High St, London SE13 5JZ

The nearest front counters to Merton that will operate an extended hours service (Mon–Fri 10:00–22:00; weekends 09:00–19:00) are:

71 Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1BP

5-7 High Street, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1LB

176 Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 1JX 

6 Carshalton Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4RF

Alternatively, you can report an incident by: 

If a crime is happening right now or if someone is in immediate danger, please call 999 immediately. 

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. And 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:  

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.