Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, met Havering’s lead policeman in Harold Hill this week [24 November] to raise residents’ crime concerns and continue her campaign to keep Hornchurch Police Station in the Met’s hands. 

Mrs Lopez and Superintendent Simon Hutchison spoke about progress to crack down on drug dealing, antisocial behaviour and shoplifting as they gathered at St George’s Church on Chippenham Road. Their meeting comes as the area looks set to receive extra resource from the Home Office to undertake an intensive policing operation to bear down on these crimes, with a particular focus on theft. If successful, local police intend to apply the lessons of that operation to other parts of Mrs Lopez’s constituency. 

The work will be part of the government’s action plan to tackle shoplifting, launched this month by Crime Minister, Chris Philp MP. Included in the national drive is a police commitment to give greater priority to shoplifting cases where violence has been used against retail workers. 

The pair also discussed violence against women and girls, where there has been intensive work on safety and security in Romford town centre, while Mrs Lopez got a progress report on efforts to stop vehicle theft. In the last week alone, Havering Joint Taskforce has made nine arrests and recovered nine vehicles from their focus on car crime. 

Mrs Lopez also shared with Superintendent Hutchison the level of resident backing for her campaign to save Hornchurch Police Station. The campaign, which will mark its first birthday next month, has now been supported by over 1,400 signatories. The Met’s estates team has recently visited the borough to understand which buildings local officers need to police the area effectively. The Hornchurch MP is hopeful of campaign success and is now considering next steps – potentially a push to reopen the counter at Hornchurch Station, and whether an extra base can be secured in Upminster to add to that in Harold Hill.