Police Station Closures

**rob murray** · 07-Nov-16, 15:28

According to news c58 police stations are to be closed, good job for face book eh, when some one's been robbed / assaulted etc they can contact the police by face book or maybe twitter, or perhaps call the police Scotland call centre, all cheaper than having and maintaining police buildings ,places where you can actually speak to a police officer...ach I suppose Im a luddite ?

**Oddquine** · 08-Nov-16, 15:33

Originally Posted by rob murray

According to news c58 police stations are to be closed, good job for face book eh, when some one's been robbed / assaulted etc they can contact the police by face book or maybe twitter, or perhaps call the police Scotland call centre, all cheaper than having and maintaining police buildings ,places where you can actually speak to a police officer...ach I suppose Im a luddite ?

Also according to the news there is going to be a review....so nothing is currently set in stone. "The list of buildings which "do not match policing requirements" includes some which are no longer routinely used by officers. Following the review some buildings could be retained but others could be declared "surplus to requirements". "Under the new proposals, police officers and civilian staff may be asked to share office space with other public agencies in a system which is already operating in parts of Scotland. "

I haven't heard of too many/any problems with the joint police/fire/ambulance in Tomintoul, and it seems to me quite a good idea to have all emergency services under one roof, for example... or working out of offices shared with the Council, as happens in Cupar, Fife. If police stations are still fit for purpose, then I see no problem with sharing those buildings with other public agencies to cut costs for all the agencies.

The logic of continuing to try and maintain police offices, many of which have been neglected for many decades, simply in order to have a time to time presence in communities seems pointless if a police presence can be maintained in a more cost-effective manner under the continuing cuts to public services necessitated by continuing cuts in Government funding.

We have a police station where I am which is part of a previous two police house and attached office set-up....the house without the attached office has long been sold to a family, the other is sitting there empty and unused, bar, I think, time to time visits by police in their cars probably to check for any post. In the era of abundant cars and telephones, when few of us ever actually do face to face with police officers, where is the need for police offices every six miles or so, simply because they were necessary when it was more difficult to report incidents and there was a perceived need to bang up people who had misbehaved overnight, before court in the nearest big town? Just because something existed in different circumstances does not make it still necessary when those circumstances change. When was the last time anybody on here visited their local police office as opposed to lifting the phone to contact it?

As Police Scotland have said "Engagement will be carried out by local policing teams to ensure any future decisions are built upon local consultation with communities and partners to ensure our estate continues to meet our needs and the needs of the public. " , then those communities which still head in person to the local police station to report incidents will be able to make their case for retention of their police station, won't they?

Personally, I'd rather see the money currently being spent on maintaining practically unused police stations freed up to employ more police officers to respond more quickly to the calls of the public.

**Hoggie** · 08-Nov-16, 17:37

Originally Posted by rob murray

According to news c58 police stations are to be closed, good job for face book eh, when some one's been robbed / assaulted etc they can contact the police by face book or maybe twitter, or perhaps call the police Scotland call centre, all cheaper than having and maintaining police buildings ,places where you can actually speak to a police officer...ach I suppose Im a luddite ?

"We'll dispatch a police car when your assault get 50 Likes on Facebook. It will come from the nearest operational station, though it may be a while as there is heavy traffic on the Erskine Bridge. Alternatively you may prefer a police avatar to effect a virtual arrest on Minecraft."

**Gronnuck** · 09-Nov-16, 10:27

Speak to the police grass roots and they'll tell you there aren't enough officers to man all these police stations. Many stations had civilian support staff to collate, prioritise and pass on reports and complaints, however they were the first to be cut in the drive to reduce the salary bill. There are areas in Scotland where PCs are so thin on the ground that they are expected to attend crimes unsupported with supposed 'back up' up to 40 minutes away. Little wonder our police officers are becoming increasingly cynical.

**rob murray** · 09-Nov-16, 15:01

Originally Posted by Gronnuck

Speak to the police grass roots and they'll tell you there aren't enough officers to man all these police stations. Many stations had civilian support staff to collate, prioritise and pass on reports and complaints, however they were the first to be cut in the drive to reduce the salary bill. There are areas in Scotland where PCs are so thin on the ground that they are expected to attend crimes unsupported with supposed 'back up' up to 40 minutes away. Little wonder our police officers are becoming increasingly cynical.

Thats not what Odd Quine is saying !!