Teen beauty spot drinkers are ramblers, not rebels
- Dave Burrows
Leader: Cut in opening hours to put police out of reach
Wednesday 15th February 2012, 12:30PM GMT.
In the twisted doublespeak that is used to slip unpalatable changes past the public, the shortening of public opening hours at all Shropshire’s police stations is being presented as an improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, while protecting front line policing.
This decision by West Mercia Police Authority shows that it does not think that having police stations open to the public, so people can go in to report crime, seek advice, present documents, and do all the other things that are most effectively done on a face-to-face basis, qualifies as being a front line service.
The whole idea of public service is being turned on its head. Dealing with the public is being seen as an expensive inconvenience which interrupts the police day.
How long will it be before a bleeding victim of a mugging is left knocking on the door of a police station only to be ignored? Or told to ring? Or told: “We’re closed.”?
The long arm of the law is taking on a whole new meaning. It now means that the public is increasingly being kept at arm’s reach. Once you were able to ring your local police station. That has been replaced by a call centre approach in which the straightforward has become an exercise in overcoming hurdles.
The counters at Shropshire police stations are called public service desks these days. By definition, shortening their opening hours will mean that the public service will be degraded.
Police are trying to save money like everybody else but, just as the public is prepared to pay a few extra pence to keep open Shropshire fire stations, they are likely to be prepared to pay a little extra to protect opening hours at police stations.
This is a bad, anti-public, decision, which should be reversed at the earliest opportunity.
Sponsored Links
Most Commented
- Leader: Hospital parking suggestion simply nonsense
- Leader: Crimewave goes up with the mercury
- Hospital 18-week waiting list down to 800
- Parking zones fear for Shropshire hospital workers
- Protesters: We await problems at Shropshire hospitals
- MP Owen Paterson opposed to same-sex marriages
- Letter: Not much thought as villages bulldozed
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Shame that the police seem to have money for purchase of new technology – helicopters,tasers,drones,communication systems,top of the range vehicles and cash to overpolice demonstrations but when it comes to joe blogs getting assistance there is no one home at the cop shop and the local beat bobby has long disappeared.
Trouble is the less contact the police have with the public the less information comes in on local crime intelligence.In the long run its a false economy that costs local business and takes away public confidence.
Report abuse
Local beat bobby? You are stuck in the 60′s watching too much heartbeat on TV.
Report abuse
I seem to remember the Star backing cuts in public spending…
Don’t cry when the chickens come home to roost.
Report abuse
Unless of course you live in Market Drayton; with all the unsolved poultry thefts your chickens are very unlikely to come to roost.
Report abuse
The “spokesperson” from West Mercia police said that with everyone having mobile phones these days, there was no need to have public service desks or police stations open for so long, or so often.
So let me see now…. a victim of a mobile phone mugging is stabbed, and had his phone stolen. How, precisely, does this help when he may be only yards from a police station that is closed until the next day? Can he call an ambulance or the police (who are trained in first aid)
I have witnessed this policy in Lincolnshire, and it was a disaster 12 years ago. It will be a disaster today, tomorrow and in 12 years time if allowed to continue.
Incidentally, when I had an issue that required the police to actually do some work, they found many reasons to avoid this until I advised thenm that I would, the next morning, occupy the parking space of Paul West (the then Chief Constable) at Hindlip Hall, until he arrived and I could get an answer.
By some miracle (it was cloudy, so I could not tell if a new star had appeared in the East) local officers suddenly found the time and manpower to deal with my query. Outstanding!
Report abuse
Shropshire police spend way too much time and money flying their expensive helicopters or driving round in brand new police cars. Rarely do I see any bobbies ‘on the beat’, may as well shut the police stations down for what they are worth.
Report abuse
F.Y.I Shropshire police do not have their own helicopter. If you could find a cheap helicopter instead of an expensive one then pass the message..
Report abuse
Understandable comments from contributors 1-4, but, I would hazard a guess that the police have done their homework on this, at least, I hope they have.
They must know which desks are busy on which days, and also when they are quiet, and should have organised the reduction accordingly.
Of course there will be times when this strategy will be problematic, but on the whole I think it will work.
The purchases mentioned above, cars, choppers etc. are necessary today I believe. With the cuts they have had to make over the years, the bobby on the beat has disappeared, and officers now have a very large area to police, and let’s not forget that Shropshire is a rural area so vehicles are necessary to reach remote locations in the event of an incident.
Perhaps it would have been more acceptable to announce that the closures were to be on a trial basis. We can only wait and see, if it proves to be unfavourable, then would be the time to protest, and hope for change.
Report abuse
I can’t see the problem here – let’s face it, a major crisis for the police is running out of tea bags!
Mark my words, you will see no loss of service.
I notice the text said “Dealing with the public is being seen as an expensive inconvenience which interrupts the police day.
I wonder if it should have said “Dealing with the police is being seen as an expensive inconvenience which interrupts the public’s day.”?
Report abuse
Even if they do reduce the opening hours of the counters there is always a voice-box outside that connects to the control room so an officer can be contacted to return to the station or to the callers home. The only deficiency is anyone looking for sanctuary (e.g being chased by another) will have nowhere to run to. The decision makers will have that one to explain if in the unlikely situation they are called to inquest.
Report abuse