The Metropolitan Police Service is putting an extra 2,600 neighbourhood police officers onto the streets of the capital to fight crime in the heart of London’s communities.

Safer Neighbourhoods Teams [SNTs] are changing. With more officers and additional responsibilities, SNTs will take a stronger approach to catching criminals and protecting communities. Using their detailed local knowledge, SNTs will now be responsible for investigating neighbourhood crime, tackling those that cause harm to our communities and reducing anti-social behaviour [ASB]. SNTs will be more visible with officers on patrol later into the evenings, over the weekends and at peak times.

A neighbourhood inspector will have the flexibility to direct officers to where they are needed un-restricted by ward boundaries. They will take responsibility for reducing crime in their area and be held accountable to the local community.

There will be new ways to contact the police. Victims of crime, or those who wish to speak with a local police officer, can make an appointment at a time and place convenient to them. Each borough will have one police station open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other police stations will provide standard front counter services, with opening times determined by local need.

There will be additional contact points in police buildings and staffed by SNTs across their neighbourhoods for a minimum of three hours per week.

The 101 telephone number will remain for non-emergencies and the public will be able to request a visit from a local officer within 48 hours. In an emergency there is the 999 system that answers just under five million calls a year - 93 per cent in ten seconds or less.

Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne said: “We’ve listened to the public and understand people just want to know police are close by. So we are changing the way we do things to make neighbourhood policing our priority.  We will now have around 200 places for the public to access police, in more convenient locations and at differing times.  We are telling Londoners exactly where their police will be and when, making it clearer what the best way to access police is depending on what their need is. Making neighbourhood policing our priority demonstrates our commitment to Londoners and will deliver the service they deserve”.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing Stephen Greenhalgh said: “After the most extensive public consultation ever carried out into policing in London, we have listened to what people want in putting ‘bobbies’ before buildings. Moving 2,600 extra police officers into neighbourhoods provides a golden opportunity for the Met to reconnect with Londoners".

The transition into the new model of policing will take place in two tranches. The first boroughs to see the changes will be: Barnet, Bexley, Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Havering, Hillingdon, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Merton, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Westminster.

Tranche two boroughs will roll out by October and will be: Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Harrow, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth.

Under targets set by the Mayor of London to cut key crimes by 20 per cent, improve public confidence by 20 per cent and cut costs by 20 per cent by 2016, the Met is introducing these changes to the way local policing is carried out across London boroughs to ensure there are more officers on your streets and that they are used with greater flexibility.

The full list of locations, maps and opening hours of police stations, contact points and deployment bases for all London boroughs can be found on the MOPAC website - see this link.