Editing Wealdstone (section)

===Crime and policing===
[[File:Wealdstone Police Station from W.png|thumb|left|Wealdstone Police Station in 2017]]
[[File:High Street, Wealdstone (2) - geograph.org.uk - 234453.jpg|thumb|left|High Street showing police station on the right in 2006]]
Possibly the most prominent building in Wealdstone is the former Police Station in the high street. The site was built in 1909 and has been [[Grade II]] listed since 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/213016|title=Former Wealdstone Police Station, High Street HA3 - Harrow &#124; Historic England|website=historicengland.org.uk}}</ref> It is known for its distinctive style and features.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/8927209.wealdstone-police-station-could-close-under-metropolitan-police-authority-mpa-plans/|title=Wealdstone Police Station could close|website=Harrow Times|date=23 March 2011 }}</ref>

In 2003, plans by the [[Metropolitan Police]] to close Wealdstone police station was met with by protests and opposition in the community. A petition against the closure received 200 signatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/6247809.protests-grow-over-threat-to-wealdstone-police-station/|title=Protests grow over threat to Wealdstone police station|website=News Shopper|date=15 May 2003 }}</ref> The station eventually remained open, but the issue arose again in 2008 and 2011 amid police plans to sell the building. While the station was no longer open to the public, it still housed the Anti-Social Behaviour Partnership team.<ref name="auto1"/>

In May 2011, [[Navin Shah]] representing [[Brent and Harrow (London Assembly constituency)|Brent and Harrow]] in the London Assembly asked then-Mayor of London [[Boris Johnson]] about his thoughts on the closure. Johnson responded:
{{blockquote|Let's be clear - the closing of a police station is always a very difficult decision. People understandably are reassured by the physical presence of a corner police station. But the Met's real estate portfolio is ageing, and modern policing is these days more reliant on resources other than just bricks and mortar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2011/1407|title=Wealdstone Police Station|date=9 May 2011|website=Mayor's Question Time}}</ref>}}

[[Gareth Thomas (English politician)|Gareth Thomas]], MP for [[Harrow West]], launched a petition to save the station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/save-wealdstone-police-station-petition-5984918|title='Save Wealdstone Police Station' petition started by local MP|first=Ian|last=Proctor|date=13 July 2011|website=MyLondon}}</ref> However, opponents were unsuccessful and the station was closed.
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/harrow/17967517.former-wealdstone-police-station-become-flats-cafe/|title=Former police station could be turned into flats|website=Watford Observer|date=15 October 2019 }}</ref>

Wealdstone formerly had the highest crime rate in the borough, as the town suffered from antisocial behaviour and drug crime, higher than the borough's average. However, the Wealdstone Antisocial Behaviour Partnership (WASP), started by the Metropolitan Police to tackle crime in the town in 2010, saw impressive results with crime figures below the average in the borough. Wealdstone was one of only four Harrow wards to show a fall in reported Crime from April 2015 to March 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/8205307.new-police-team-to-tackle-problems-of-wealdstone/|title=New police team to tackle problems of Wealdstone|website=Harrow Times|date=7 June 2010 }}</ref>