Interviews

Police station latest

by Mark Rowe

It’s not a new trend, police closing buildings, either to the public or entirely; and looking to sell surplus sites, and usually centralise, as austerity cuts bite.

Over recent years, Professional Security has reported on towns that still have police stations, except they are no longer have a ‘front counter’ open to the public; in Hertfordshire for example, several stations only have a ‘free public telephone’ to call police on.

Private security people need to keep an eye on what’s happening in their area for several reasons; whether it means police may take longer to respond from further away, or whether there may be opportunity, if police may be interested in re-locating, typically inside another public building.

A new Essex Police base has opened in the offices of Maldon District Council. Mark Durham, Leader of Maldon District Council, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to accommodate a police base within our building and thereby securing a continued police presence in the district. I welcome them into our building along with the many other partners who have decided to co-locate with us and provide a first class service to the community.”

A front counter service, staffed by Essex Police employees, runs from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and from 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays. Maldon police station is one of several being sold as the Essex force’s estate is reduced from 80 to about 30 buildings.

In Suffolk, Felixstowe’s new shared Fire and Police Station – the town’s adapted fire station – has gone operational. The two emergency services now share response and SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team) bases in seven places across Suffolk including Clare which is a drop in base for passing patrols. The site hosts the town council CCTV monitoring (by volunteers), facilities for community groups and locals to hold meetings and police and fire parking for operational vehicles.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “I am absolutely delighted to see another shared base for police and fire in the county and particularly pleased that we were able to secure additional Government funding to finance the project.

“Working together with other blue-light services is absolutely key to meeting the financial challenges that we face. The existing shared stations across the county are working really well and we are seeing the benefits of reduced operating costs and improved joint working between our two key emergency services. I am committed to building on this shared working over the coming years.”

In London, the Met Police has cut the number of police station front counters from 149 to 73, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said earlier this month. He said: “In the coming years, due to further Government cuts we will have to find another £400m of savings plus up to £700m more if the police funding formula changes. That is why we are now having to consult on closing up to half of London’s remaining police station front counters. Despite this drastic action, Government cuts are so severe that we may also be left with no alternative but to look at reducing frontline officers if ministers go ahead as planned.”

Avon and Somerset Police recently opened a new ‘police centre’ on the outskirts of Weston-super-Mare; which is not open to the public. The police station in the Somerset seaside town has shut, and police instead have a station nearby, inside Weston super Mare Town Hall. Local Policing Commander for North Somerset Tina Robinson said: “The opening of the new police centre has enabled our response teams who were split between two sites to work closer together and being closer to the motorway makes it much easier to respond better to calls across the area. While this new facility operates as a base for our teams, they continue to be out in their communities and on patrol for much of their time. It just makes it a bit easier. The ambulance service will also be joining us soon, using one of the downstairs rooms for meetings and refreshments between calls.”

Pictured; disused police station, Streatham, south London.

When to call 999?

Just 21 per cent of all 999 calls made to Hertfordshire Police are genuine emergencies, said Assistant Chief Constable Jane Swinburne, who oversees Public Contact, for the force. ACC Swinburne said: “Demand in the control room remains high following national and international high profile incidents, as the public continues to be vigilant and rightly reports any suspicious activity, which we do appreciate. We work hard to ensure that we answer emergency calls as quickly as possible to get the right response to those in need. The public can help us with this by ensuring they choose the most appropriate option when contacting us.

“We understand that some may be unsure about when to dial 999, when to call 101 or when to contact us online, which is why we are continuing to promote and clarify this.”

Always dial 999 if:

• Someone is injured, being threatened or is in danger.
• There is a risk of injury to someone or a risk of serious damage to property.
• A crime is in progress or you suspect a crime is in progress.
• There is a serious incident which needs immediate police attendance.
• Someone suspected of a crime is nearby.

Typically when there is no immediate threat to life or property call 101 or use online options:

• If you want to give police information about a crime that is not in progress.
• To contact a local police officer, such as someone from your Safer Neighbourhood team.
• If your property has been stolen or damaged but it is not a crime in progress.
• If you suspect drug dealing or use in your area.

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