News
Doubts over the future of police station
Monday 28 July 2008
UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of Ripon police station after the chairman of the police authority refused to give a commitment to its long-term survival.
For the past 12 months, North Yorkshire Police Authority has been conducting a review of the suitability of all stations and is looking to close and sell some of them as it seeks to invest £27m to modernise community policing.
Under the authority's North Yorkshire Estates Programme, as buildings are sold off, more than 40 new community bases would be established in places like schools, health centres, libraries, council offices or other buildings along the lines of pilot schemes in Thirsk, Kirkbymoorside and York.
This week County Coun Andrew Williams sought reassurances for Ripon police station's long-term future from the head of the authority, Coun Jane Kenyon, at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council.
no commitment
She declined to give such a commitment and Coun Williams told the Gazette: "The fact that the chairman of the police authority refuses to give a clear commitment to a properly manned police station demonstrates that they are seriously thinking of doing away with the police station because, if they weren't, they would rule the suggestion out."
In a statement before the meeting, Coun Kenyon said: "We have a clear strategic direction with regard to estates and central to that are police bases tailored to best meet the requirements of the communities they serve.
"Public consultation is central to this strategy and no police stations will be closed until the local policing needs have been addressed."
When the Gazette approached Coun Kenyon yesterday and asked her to address Coun Williams' concerns, she declined to make any further comment.
'reasonable expectation'
Coun Williams said: "Given the amount of money Ripon pays each year into the police service, the community should reasonably expect to have a police station."
He added: "The idea you can somehow run community policing from a shop front on a nine till five basis is a nonsense because crime is not a nine till five thing.
"It also raises all sorts of questions – where would vehicles be kept? Are we going to have to wait for vehicles to come from Harrogate?"
Tony Hargreaves, the police authority's lead member on estates matters, said: "We hope to be able to give details about individual sites later this year.
"Negotiations are currently under way with local authorities and other partners and it is only when these are complete and the public has been given a chance to have its say that we can agree implementation dates."
Coun Williams is planning to raise the issue at a meeting of Ripon City Council.
