Lib Dems call for police front desks in supermarkets, libraries and shopping centres to boost “community policing”

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

• Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart gives speech at party’s Autumn Conference setting out plans for new “police desk promise”
• Data uncovered through Freedom of Information requests shows number of police desks has fallen by a quarter in the past decade
• Liberal Democrat plans would see police front desks in every community, funded by scrapping of Police and Crime Commissioners

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a police front desk in every community across England and Wales, as part of a return to real community policing.

The new “police desk promise” policy is being announced by Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart MP today (Saturday 20th September) in a speech at the party’s Autumn Conference.

The front desks would be placed in community hubs across the country, including in libraries, shopping centres and town halls. This would allow people to report crimes or share information with the police face to face in convenient, accessible locations, helping to restore a police presence and boost public confidence.

It comes as Freedom of Information requests by the Liberal Democrats reveal a shocking rise of police front desk closures across England and Wales which has left too many communities without a visible police presence. The research shows the number of police force counters has fallen by over a quarter in the past decade. There were 268 police counters in 2025, down 26% from 365 in 2015.

Bedfordshire police force comes out worst, with a shocking 78% reduction in police front desks over the last decade, Surrey Police follows suit with a staggering 60% of all their front desks slashed. West Midlands, West Yorkshire police force, Metropolitan have also cut desks across their regions, down 58%, 53% and 52% respectively. 20 police forces provided data in total, meaning the true number of police counter closures is likely to be far higher.

The new Liberal Democrat plans would be funded in part by scrapping Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), saving money in administrative costs that could instead be spent on improving frontline policing. Previous research by the Liberal Democrats found that PCCs cost taxpayers over £100 million between 2019 and 2023 in admin costs.

The Home Office has previously disclosed that the basic pay costs of PCCs alone is over £3 million a year. Some PCCs can earn extortionate figures, with the West Midlands PCC earning almost £102,000 a year, while those in Essex, Hampshire, Thames Valley and Sussex all earn almost £90,000 annually.

Ahead of her Conference speech, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:

“After years of cuts, too many people say they never see a police officer, leaving victims of crime neglected and allowing criminals to get away scot free.

“The Conservatives decimated community policing after years of ineffective resourcing and mismanagement. And after a year in power, Labour have offered little more than pointless soundbites.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for a police desk in every community, to rebuild proper face-to-face policing that people can see, trust and speak to.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The FOI data on police stations and front desks can be found here.

Previous research by the Liberal Democrats on the cost of Police and Crime Commissioners can be found here.

The Home Office has previously stated that the total basic pay cost of PCCs annually is approximately £3m (Written Question: 2023). The salaries of PCCs can be found here.