Police Chief and Police Station Debate.

I had a long conversation with a senior police officer at Wednesfield Police Station today, following the arguments that I have made with regard to my opposition to the loss of 24 hour public access.

Today’s telephone call follows a conversation that I had with the Chief Constable just over a week ago, and was very much an extension to that can conversation.

I was informed that the public consultation had been lengthened and it was on going now into the New Year. So if you haven’t yet written submitting your views you still have time.

I was re-assured that the new arrangements, when they are finally completed, will be widely advertised. I made the point again that I thought that the police were 'placing barriers between themselves and the public', and that feeling of 'remoteness' that some members of the public have said they felt, would hurt the police eventually.

I also asked about the other concerns the public were making to me about the long term viability of the station. The people of Wednesfield have told me that there are two floors of the police station now only housing lawyers.

The Police official informed me that they were CPS staff. That their close proximity to the Wolverhampton Police Service was in fact very beneficial. I took these comments on face value.

I was further informed that the police were considering other types of police response to be delivered from Wednesfield. I have been given a very clear understanding that the Wednesfield Police station as a working station is to continue.

But there is an issue here that the police needs to address quickly. There is obviously some public concern about the delivery of police services from our local station into the future. As I have said placing barriers between the police and the public they serve will ultimately hurt the police service.

I think the police needs to do more to inform the Wednesfield public of its future plans for service delivery from the Wednesfield Police Station, and how they are to help fight the war on crime.

We all want to support the police, we want them to continue to 'protect and serve' our communities. We want to see a police community continuing to deliver local services to our neighbourhoods.

Many of us still bemoan the loss of the very local police stations that were established when places like Ashmore Park were first built. Taking a policy of reducing local visibility, and not linking those services to neighbourhoods would not be a smart move in the long term.

I finished my conversation with the thought that the Police do need to really work hard to explain what they are about. Its a pity so much finance is being stripped from budgets as this is clearly having a major effect on the shape of the police service in our community.