Millom police allay fears over force response times
Last updated at 16:37, Monday, 11 March 2013
FEARS about Millom residents being “left in the lurch” by a lack of police officers on the ground has led a senior officer to claim that a lot of police work is “unseen” by the community.
The level of police presence and the ability of officers to deal with multiple incidents has worried councillors and publicans in the town.
Millom councillor John Fallows voiced his concern that officers sent to patrol Millom start and end their shifts in Whitehaven, and that anyone arrested in the town is taken to Workington, which could leave Millom without police cover in the event of multiple incidents.
Cllr Fallows argued: “I think we have been sold down the river.
“If the officers are in Workington that’s 30 miles for a response.”
Mayor elect Brian Crawford says a lack of police presence on the street is also worrying residents.
“I think Millom is safer than it has been for years, but a lot of people, especially pensioners, don’t want to go out at night because they never see any police.
“When I walk about at night I never see any officers walking the beat.
“You will see cars driving around but it’s not the same. We’re losing that face-to-face time with police.
“I have spoken to pensioners at the workies that get a taxi home rather than walk two streets.”
Bill Wright, proprietor of The Knights club on Queen Street, said: “I feel like we have been left in the lurch.
“I have heard a lot of the older punters say they feel scared to walk home.”
However Mairi Stamper, chief inspector for West Cumbria, said overall crime has reduced by 22.9 per cent between April 2012 and January 13, when compared to the same period the previous year.
She said: “Police officers and PCSOs do travel into Millom from Whitehaven to carry out their patrols, however our response times are being met across the board.
“Due to the nature of policing, a lot of our work goes unseen by the majority of the community, with officers carrying out enquiries behind closed doors, taking statements or patrolling specific neighbourhoods.
“Anyone who is arrested in the area is risk assessed before being transported to either Workington or Barrow police custody suites.
“On key dates, the police custody in Whitehaven police station is also opened and utilised.
“Millom’s policing team relocated to an office in the Network Centre in October last year but apart from officers using different desks, the policing service has not changed.
“Members of the public can still contact local police officers via email or telephone to arrange appointments to see them at a time and location convenient to them by dialling 101.”
First published at 16:07, Monday, 11 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
How can you say nothing has changed it certainly has. We hardly saw the police when they were located in the original police station but i have to say you see a lot less of them now they have moved.People should be able to walk the streets at night without being scared especially oap's its disgusting that they feel they have to get a taxi to take them 2 streets away a absolute digrace.. The only time you see a good police presence in this town is when they are raiding someones house..
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good everning i would like to add i am a door staff at reflections on a saterday night when i first atarted there i never hardly seen the police but it has incresed on police officers about like i also reported a fight what had ocured and it took about 1 hour for them to respond but they love pulling us over on the way back from work sorry but thats not on like they need to be on foot like
Posted by darrel on 22 March 2013 at 22:33