Police stations with cells help reduce time it takes to process offenders
A reader’s letter in last week’s paper is more an expression of (understandable) frustration than an expression of reality.
First, there are no reasons why Durham Police initiatives cannot be replicated elsewhere. But police chiefs (nationwide) are belligerent in refusing to do that. Glasgow’s success in curtailing knife crime is the best example, with the Met having to be dragged kicking and screaming, before they will adopt another forces good practice.
Hinckley police station was closed , as were others in Leicestershire, prior to austerity, as police chiefs came out in favour of central hubs for admin and detention centres, claiming savings?
Yes, close a building and you save, but they did not reveal the latent costs of doing so, and police time in commuting, and loosing availability of resources as a consequence? I fought against this, and against the police chiefs at the time, awash with resources and not using them; which didn’t help in the case of Fiona Pilkington.
As a result of which, I became aware of files being kept on me by police. A freedom of information act notice revealed a mountain of useless information being kept on me, which (they) admitted could not be justified, and had to be destroyed. As for foot patrols? Can’t anyone remember the police chiefs telling us they were a waste of time, as people were being killed on our streets through anti social behaviour, that police said was a “community” issue and not one for them?
The closure of the magistrates court was an unjustifiable disgrace, but Hinckley has been neglected for decades, and so was an “easy” choice!
Reading The Hinckley Times; my, the police are going to do so much, they say, but unless they heed my advocacy, and place priority on leadership and clear direction, all is lost.
I am well aware (from revealed information) that th e police hold me in contempt, and consider me to be a fool; but what wise men promised, never came to pass, while what the fool foretold has happened. More delusion is no solution!
Steve Vickers, Hinckley