Save our Local Police Stations and front desk services...

Millbrook Conservatives vow to Save and provide local Police front desks for reporting crime...

June 2011

There are currently plans by Hampshire Constabulary to close Shirley and Portswood Police Stations. These closures are planned within the next 2 years as part of wider plans to save money by closing out dated buildings that no longer suit modern policing needs and are deemed to expensive or not ideal even if renovated.

Your Millbrook Conservatives are very concerned by these plans as we feel Shirley police station provides a very visible and known local base for community police and gives residents an easy and quick way to get in touch with the police should a need arise.

We will now fight to ensure alternative buildings/locations are located within our community to ensure a local base for local police and to also provide a point of contact for the public so they know where and when they could visit to talk with a local police officer if needed eg for reporting crime or raising local concerns.

We are pleased that the police have managed to re-locate their main central police headquarters but feel communities demand the ability to easily and conveniently engage and access police at a local level and this is something that should not be lost to our communities or left to the ability of finding police patrolling our streets.

All of your Millbrook team are campaigning to keep local police stations within our district as it's vitally important that local beat police are based in the area that they patrol in our opinion and also we feel that a very strong message is sent to all residents when people have a physical police station and front desk service where they can personally visit and report crimes and other local concerns direct to a police presence.

In 2011 Freemantle Councillor and deputy Southampton Conservative Leader Jeremy Moulton was pleased to be able to report that he had secured a commitment from the Chief Constable that alternative local police stations would be put in place before any closures and that local beat police and PCSOs would be based there. Jeremy also recognise's that these police stations need front desks too and he is currently fighting with Millbrook Conservatives for a cast iron commitment from the police on this issue.