BEXLEY residents are being asked to a town hall meeting to discuss the future of policing in the borough.

It is part of a London-wide public consultation, held by the Mayor’s Office, on its four year plan for the future of policing in the capital.

The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath on Tuesday, January 29. It starts at 6pm.

Holding the meeting will be the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and the Assistant Commissioner for Territorial Policing.

The consultation is on the draft Police and Crime Plan which includes having 2,000 extra officers in London.

The plan states its aims are to introduce new and better ways for people go to the police and report crime.

It also says it want to boost public confidence, drive down costs and cut key neighbourhood crimes by 20 percent over four years.

Stephen Greenhalgh, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “In these challenging economic times, tough decisions will have to be made but ultimately we want to boost public confidence in the police, cut crime, and drive down waste.

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“To do this we need to get more officers out on the streets and be smarter about the how we use police buildings including police stations and custody suites.

"These changes will, I believe, give London the dynamic, flexible police force it needs and improve the way Londoners interact with the first public service.

Over eight weeks we'll be travelling to every borough in London listening to what people have to say so their views can help shape our final plans."

The Assistant Commissioner, Simon Byrne, said: "We know that the Met must change and we want it to change for the better.

"We look forward to sharing our proposals with the public.

"We aim to increase our neighbourhood policing and make us more accessible and visible so that we're there for the public where and when the need us.”