Fears voiced over Valley policing

ROSSENDALE council’s opposition leader has written to Lancashire’s top police chief, saying she is “extremely concerned” about the state of policing in the Valley.

Coun Annabel Shipley has set out a number of concerns to Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, ahead of the closure of Rossendale’s last police front counter in early 2018.

Concerns raised, include:

Worries about the ‘inability’ of residents to contact local police officers to report crime

Difficulties in getting through on the 101 nonemergency police hotline

The potential knockon effect on the volume of 999 calls

Mr Grunshaw says the front counter in Waterfoot is accessed by less than four people in an average day and its closure is due to the need to make £1.4m worth of savings.

Coun Shipley said many residents are worried about their ability to contact local police offic- ers.

She wrote: “Concerns have also been raised about the difficulty in using the 101 service to contact local police and the duration of the length of time for the call to be answered.

“As such I am extremely concerned that once you close the front counter in Waterfoot, residents across Rossendale will be unable to contact their local police officers – unless there is a substantial improvement in the level of service from the 101 service.

“I also have concerns about the knock-on effect that this may have on the 999 service as people may use this option due to frustrations using the 101 number.”

She asked for assurances that the 101 service will be able to cope with demand following the front desk closure and, if not, urged him to delay it until it is “fit for purpose.”

Mr Grunshaw said: “While decisions like this are not ones anyone wants to make, Lancashire Constabulary has to find ways to manage the continuing cuts to our budget from Government.

“We have to look at how residents want to report crimes, making sure that this service receives the investment it needs.

“Fewer than four members of the public attend the front counter in Waterfoot a day to report an incident, in contrast with the ever increasing and complex demand in the contact centre which sees 2,400 calls dealt with on a daily basis.

“We recognise this demand and have committed to 30 additional posts and I keep performance under review.”

SEE page 10.