Police station closure plan might be way forward, says MP Luff (From Droitwich Advertiser)

Police station closure plan might be way forward, says MP Luff

12:40pm Tuesday 26th February 2013 in Local

PLANS to make better use of the police estate may mean better policing at a lower cost, according to Droitwich’s MP Peter Luff.

He is encouraging communities - especially in Droitwich – to look carefully at what is planned before rejecting the ideas.

Speaking after a meeting with Police Commissioner Bill Longmore and Chief Constable David Shaw, Mr Luff said: “I understand that change is always unsettling but as far as I can see, the plans for Droitwich will mean no change to the public’s access to local police officers to report crimes and may even increase the visibility of local policing.

“It’s true the police station itself will move to new and probably shared premises, but I know from the experience of Evesham that such change can actually improve the service to local people.

“It's also true that new technology means police officers need to return to their base much less often and can complete crime reports and so on from mobile devices - while they stay in the communities they are policing.

“What’s more, most people now report crime over the telephone, not be visiting police stations. So buildings are less important than they were. What matters is the visibility and availability of police officers in the community.

“As the chief constable has said, buildings don’t catch criminals, police officers do. A focus on the front line is what I want to see from West Mercia, and from what I have heard so far, I am inclined to believe that is what is planned.”