Criticism of proposal to shut police bases

Criticism of proposal to shut police bases

12 July 2011

THE district’s PSNI commander has been urged not to leave a large part of Down without a police station.

Strangford MP, Jim Shannon, met Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw on Monday to press the case for the retention of Ballynahinch and Saintfield police stations amidst PSNI plans to close 34 police stations across Northern Ireland.

Back in October it emerged the two stations were on a list whose future was to be discussed by the Policing Board, and on Thursday, following a PSNI presentation on the proposals, the Policing Board agreed to form a special working group to study the plans further.

With the announcement that Comber PSNI station was to close in September, and previous Down closures in recent years including Crossgar, Killyleagh, Ardglass and Castlewellan stations, Mr. Shannon said he had a “forthright” exchange of views with Chief Superintendent Grimshaw on the need for a local visible police presence.

“The general public needs to be assured that police in the vast expanse between Ards, Downpatrick and Lisburn have effective representation,” he said. “The elderly folk need to have confidence that the police are active on the ground, the rural community needs to have the problem of burglaries addressed and the dissident republican threat in the area has to be taken on. The PSNI has to be real and visible for law and order in this area.”

Mr. Shannon said rural residents deserved to “sleep in their beds knowing that police are in the area” and that there was somewhere “tangible” to turn for help.

The MP, who was joined at the meeting by DUP councillor William Dick, said he also pressed Mr. Grimshaw on the need for mobile police stations in the area.

Councillor Dick said he understood there was soon to be no base for the PSNI’s Traffic Branch in Down and suggested the recently refurbished Saintfield station would be suitable for the job.

“We cannot have a whole swathe of the county without a police presence,” he said. “People are not convinced that removing the stations will lead to extra police on the ground.

“Chief Superintendent Grimshaw said he took on board the concerns but there were no promises. We will continue to keep putting the pressure on.”

In their presentation to the Policing Board, the PSNI said it had to cut £135m in a four-year cost cutting plan and believes the station closures could help save around £3.5m a year.

It was made clear to board members that if savings were not made from the police estate then staff and frontline services could be under threat.

A Policing Board spokesman said the board needed to be assured the estate not only supports the delivery of the best possible policing service to the community, but also delivers value for money.

“Before a decision is taken on the strategy presented, the board agreed that some further information was necessary in a number of areas and has set up a working group to take this forward,” said a spokesman.