As acquisition specialists to the Metropolitan Police, Bruton Knowles Guildford and London offices have been instructed to secure 80 suitable new police bases, such as retail units, commercial premises and former community properties, averaging approximately 1,000 sq ft each.  These properties will act as satellite units for larger police stations and also as bases for the local community support officers. 

The Met has secured a budget of circa £100 million for the whole project, which will include the acquisition and the fit out of the premises’ units. Work on the first six bases have started on site and are scheduled to complete by December 2009.  Bruton Knowles currently has some 40 properties under offer; the majority of properties are either retail units or office premises in locations including Kingston, Twickenham, Cheam, Sutton, Westminster, Camden and Islington.

Safer Neighbourhoods is the Met’s initiative to deliver local policing and partners work with the community to identify and tackle concerns in the neighbourhood.  The aim is to provide a visible, accessible and familiar presence on the streets and to engage with and respond to the needs of the communities.  A particular objective of Safer Neighbourhoods is to combat “signal crime”.  That is, those crimes and incidents that impact disproportionately on a person’s quality of life and perception of security.

All of London’s 624 wards now have a Safer Neighbourhood Team, comprising 6 – 9 staff; these teams were initially located in the nearest police station but are now being moved into new bases either as a single ward base or in slightly larger groupings of 2-4 teams covering a small number of neighbouring wards.

The contract with the Metropolitan Police Authority was won by Bruton Knowles through the OGC framework agreement, the flexible procurement route from the Office of Government Commerce in the Treasury.  It follows on from Bruton Knowles’ recent two-year contract win with Sussex Police which sees the property consultants as the sole provider of valuation services for a range of seized assets.