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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Assembly Member joins fight to save local Police Stations
September 24, 2006 11:26 AM
Peter Black AM and Peter May at Uplands Police Station
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has joined the fight to save local Police Stations in and around Swansea.
Mr. Black is responding to a report that as part of a shake-up of the South Wales Police force's properties, they are looking at getting rid of a number of their buildings including some smaller police stations. He has joined with Welsh Liberal Democrat Swansea West Assembly Candidate, Peter May, in calling for a rethink on this policy.
Among those facing the axe are the stations in Uplands, Sketty and Port Eynon. The force estimates it can make £800,000 from selling its surplus property. People living close to the Uplands station were told at a Pact (Partnerships and Communities Together) meeting that it would be closing in December.
"I share the concerns of local communities that the closure of local police stations will make it more difficult for the Police to operate an effective bobbies-on-the-beat policy," said Mr. Black. "It is bad enough that communities lose the presence of a local police officer whilst he or she is doing paperwork, but if in addition to that those officers are having to spend time traveling to an from the community in which they work for breaks and to deal with enquiries then we will see even less of them."
"It is my view that the policy of local policing should include the provision of police stations or rooms in each and every community. In that way officers are easily contactable and have a base from which they can effectively operate."
Peter May added: "This is a step in the wrong direction. South Wales Police say that they have a long term estates strategy and yet they told the Uplands PACT meeting that our Police Station would be going in December. Local Communities should not be left without a visible police presence, even one that is only staffed part-time."
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