Police enquiry offices changes announced

Devon and Cornwall Police is changing the way that it communicates with the public and will be making changes to its Police Enquiry Offices as part of a forcewide review into public contact.

This change will see Police Enquiry Offices at 12 stations across the Force close on Friday, October 31, 2014.

The changes will see Police Enquiry Offices at Plymouth Charles Cross, Torquay and Exeter Heavitree Road remain open for six days a week between 8am and 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm on Saturday.

Police Enquiry Offices at Plymouth Crownhill, Barnstaple, Camborne, Truro, Bodmin and St Austell will remain open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (closed for lunch 1315-1400hrs).

The changes are expected to save the Force around £760,000 per annum. The overall number of full-time equivalent Police Enquiry Officer posts will be reduced from 61 to 34 as part of the plan.

Police Enquiry Offices at Tiverton, Exmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Okehampton, Liskeard, Launceston, Bude, Newquay, Falmouth and Penzance will no longer be open as a result of the review.

No police stations will close as a result of this review and will remain operational police bases which will still see the public having access to police officers and staff by appointment.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Middleton said: “In the current financial climate the Force needs to make challenging decisions around how we best use our resources to benefit our communities.

“We are required to make difficult decisions in order to maintain visibility and maintain front line policing whenever possible.

“The Force has carried out a review of how the public contact police in Devon and Cornwall and it has shown that the amount of people physically calling at a police station continues to diminish.

“In even our busiest stations this can be as low as five to six people an hour at peak times and for quieter stations can be no personal callers at all for periods of time.”

ACC Middleton added: “The Force currently receives around one million contacts a year from the public via 999, 101 and contact with the Force Enquiry Centre and Force website. This number far outweighs the amount of people actually attending a police station.

“With the development of online communication and further investment in technology, it is only likely to reduce further.

“While we may be reducing the amount of Police Enquiry Offices immediately accessible to the public, the number of operational police stations is not changing and police officers and staff will still work from those stations affected by the Police Enquiry Office Review."

He further added: “Maintaining a visible presence in our communities remains a critical factor and we will do everything possible to target resources and achieve this. It is hoped this review will further allow us to increase visibility away from traditional police sites.

“Innovation is key and having a more mobile police presence means a better, more efficient and visible police service.

“We are committed to maintaining community based services and working with partner agencies to do this in the most efficient way possible.”