Metropolitan Police Service touchdown base opens in London’s West End

The space is being provided by The Crown Estate (ie the property owner), with the New West End Company funding all ongoing costs. Now fully operational, this development reflects the strong partnership between local businesses and the Metropolitan Police Service, in tandem with a shared commitment to enhance the safety and security of the West End.

The facility represents an important milestone, providing local Safer Neighbourhood and town centre policing teams with a permanent base from which to operate in the heart of the capital’s West End, thereby supporting a consistent policing presence in the district.

By way of marking this significant launch, Kaya Comer-Schwartz (London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime) met with representatives from the Metropolitan Police Service, the New West End Company and The Crown Estate for a tour of the new facility and to learn more about the important partnership work being undertaken to tackle crime in the area.

Comer-Schwartz observed: “By working together, it’s very much the case that we can deliver more for the people we serve. This partnership between the Metropolitan Police Service, the New West End Company and The Crown Estate is a perfect example of that approach making a difference. I’m grateful to everyone involved in creating this new touchdown base, which represents an important contribution to the work underway in the West End and among communities across the capital to build a safer London for everyone.”

Targeted patrols

Superintendent Natasha Evans, neighbourhood policing lead for Westminster at the Metropolitan Police Service, stated: “Hundreds of thousands of people visit the West End every week and the Metropolitan Police Service is committed to ensuring that it remains a safe and thriving place to visit, live and work. We’ve increased targeted patrols in ‘hotspot’ areas to identify and deter criminals and we’re wholly focused on reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice.”

Evans continued: “We’re extremely grateful to The Crown Estate for providing this facility. In practical terms, it means that officers will be based closer to the areas they serve, and alongside partners such as the New West End Company, in order to improve how we work together in understanding concerns, increasing the visibility of officers in the West End and supporting local businesses as well as the community.”

Dee Corsi, CEO of the New West End Company, commented: “Promoting a safe and welcoming West End is a key priority at the New West End Company. Our ongoing partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service is central to that ambition. Located in the centre of the district, the new touchdown base is testament to our commitment towards partnership working. It’s a practical solution that will enable many additional hours of on-street policing, in turn helping to keep our streets more resilient and secure for all.”

Strong partnership 

Andy Goldston, director of security and resilience at The Crown Estate, explained: “Giving these police officers a base in the heart of the West End provides a real boost for all those who visit, work in and live within the area. This is a great demonstration of our strong partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, alongside our collective commitment to safety and security across our portfolio.”

The New West End Company is a partnership of 600 retail, restaurant, hotel and property owners dotted across “the world’s top shopping and leisure destination”, itself anchored by Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. It works in partnership to deliver transformational projects, sustainable place management, destination marketing, advocacy, inward investment and commercial insights.

The New West End Company is an influential business voice active in the wider community and a key partner in delivering a ‘new’ West End.

For its part, The Crown Estate boasts a diverse £15 billion portfolio that includes urban centres and development opportunities, Regent Street and St James’s in London’s West End and Windsor Great Park.

The business was established by an Act of Parliament and subsequently tasked with growing the value of the portfolio for the nation, duly returning all of its net profit to His Majesty’s Treasury for the benefit of public spending. This arrangement has witnessed the delivery of £5 billion across the last ten years.