In central London, the New West End Company is opening a Metropolitan Police ‘touchdown base’ in the West End. The space is being provided by the property owner, The Crown Estate, while New West End Company funds it. Now fully operational, it’s providing local Safer Neighbourhood and Town Centre Policing teams with a permanent base to operate from, supporting a consistent policing presence in the district.
Deputy London Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, had a tour of the place with representatives from the Metropolitan Police, New West End Company and The Crown Estate. Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: โBy working together we can deliver more for the people we serve, and this partnership between the Met, the New West End Company and the Crown Estate is a perfect example of that approach making a difference. Iโm grateful to everyone involved in creating this new Base, which is an important new contribution to the work underway in the West End and communities across the capital, building a safer London for everyone.โ
Supt Natasha Evans, Neighbourhood Policing Lead for Westminster for the Met, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people visit the West End every week and the Met’s committed to ensuring it remains a safe and thriving place to visit, live and work. We have increased targeted patrols in hotspot areas to identify and deter criminals, and we’re focused on reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice.
“We can’t do this alone, and we are extremely grateful to The Crown Estate for providing us with this facility. It means officers will be based closer to the areas they serve โ and alongside partners such as the New West End Company to improve how we work together to understand concerns, increase visibility of officers in the West End, and support local businesses and the community.”
Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of New West Company, said: โPromoting a safe and welcoming West End is a key priority at New West End Company, and our ongoing partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service is central to that ambition. The new touchdown base, in the centre of the district, is a testament to our commitment to partnership working. It is a practical solution that will enable many additional hours of on-street policing, helping to keep our streets resilient and secure for all.โ
And Andy Goldston, Director of Security & Resilience at The Crown Estate, said: โGiving these police officers a base in the heart of the West End is a real boost to all those who visit, work and live in the area. This is a great demonstration of our strong partnership with the Metropolitan Police, alongside our collective commitment to safety and security across our portfolio.โ
About New West End Company
New West End Company is a BID (business improvement district) of about 600 retail, restaurant, hotel and property owners on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. Like other BIDs it offers ‘street management‘ services such as cleaning and on-street patrolling. Visit www.newwestend.com.
