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Police station closures will not save enough cash

CLOSING police stations will save Essex Police less than one per cent of the money the force needs to find.

Essex Police needs to make year-on-year savings of £42.2million.

But the closure and sale of 18 buildings, including community police stations, will only save the police £300,000 a year.

The £5million the force hopes to raise by selling the buildings has to be reinvested in improvements to the remaining stations.

It means communities have lost their local facilities to save a tiny amount of the total needed.

Police stations in Brightlingsea, Great Yeldham, Hatfield Heath, Mistley, Moulsham Lodge, Rochford, South Benfleet, Stansted Mountfitchet and Walton are being sold.

In June Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle said: "Ultimately, we do not believe that lighting, heating and maintaining a building that is under utilised is the best use of Essex taxpayers' money.”

Other stations have been closed to the public or had front counter opening times reduced to save money.


Comments (7)

20/08/12

cavillas says...

I think the best way to cut a lot of money spent on the Police is to just get rid of the police force altogether. That seems to be the criteria of this government, cut everything to nothing and still expect the same level of service. Time to realize that running a country is not runnoing a business, the whole ethos is different.

As the population of the country has grown to 70 million we need more police NOT less, time this government had a bit of common sense.

20/08/12

simonwhu says...

Just get rid of the govt. That solves the problem.

20/08/12

Farmhouse France says...

I couldn't imagine the streets of the UK without the Police Force. Most of the Police out there are just young men themselves who believe in protecting the innocent. Has everyone forgotten the London Riots already? What would we have done without our Police? It's time we all stopped living in our own bubble and fight for what we believe in. We should have more police on the
streets protecting us from crime and its time this government woke up.

20/08/12

trojan46 says...

More Police on the streets is a wonderful idea and notion. It started about 10 years ago and continued for some time. Now any excuse or reason that the powers that be is good enough to get rid of hard working, courageous experienced Police officers, disgusting and outrageous and to the detriment to the local community.

21/08/12

brain1 says...

Farmhouse France wrote:
I couldn't imagine the streets of the UK without the Police Force. Most of the Police out there are just young men themselves who believe in protecting the innocent. Has everyone forgotten the London Riots already? What would we have done without our Police? It's time we all stopped living in our own bubble and fight for what we believe in. We should have more police on the streets protecting us from crime and its time this government woke up.
Did you ever stop to think why the riots started was it because the police shot some one in cold blood?
But for this incidence the riots may never have happened?

21/08/12

Farmhouse France says...

You only know what the press tell you. Were you there? Do you know what really happened? I am of the opinion that the riots were to do with greed and the majortiy of the young people involved wouldn't have been aware that anyone had been shot. We are one of the only countries in the world who's police force do not carry guns and we only have a small selected group who are called upon when firearms are involved. We should be proud of this fact and proud of our emergency services. Would you be living safely without them?

22/08/12

brain1 says...

Farmhouse France wrote:
You only know what the press tell you. Were you there? Do you know what really happened? I am of the opinion that the riots were to do with greed and the majortiy of the young people involved wouldn't have been aware that anyone had been shot. We are one of the only countries in the world who's police force do not carry guns and we only have a small selected group who are called upon when firearms are involved. We should be proud of this fact and proud of our emergency services. Would you be living safely without them?
Sorry I did not realise that you are privy to the police information.
Do the police have a media presence that puts a spin on their side of every story?
But of course that will always give a true account with no sign of being economical with the truth?

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