WE WILL LISTEN
A SENIOR officer’s plea to the Dromore public to air their views on the proposed closure of the town’s police station came this week with a promise to residents that those views would be heard.
That said, while stressing a final decision had yet to be taken, PSNI E District Commander, Chief Superintendent Alasdair Robinson, highlighted the millions of pounds in savings that had to be made and insisted the current size of the Northern Ireland police estate reflected what he called a very different era in policing.
“I understand that some may take comfort in having a police station nearby,” he said. “However, modern policing is about people, not buildings.”
Mr. Robinson said he was seeking the views of people across the Banbridge, Craigavon, Armagh and Newry and Mourne areas in respect of four proposed station closures - Dromore, Brownlow, Keady and Warrenpoint.
“I have had to look very closely at all of the stations in my district to ensure we are using all of our resources, including buildings, in the most effective and efficient way possible to provide the best service possible to everyone in E District,” he said.
“In Northern Ireland we have a pattern of police stations unlike any other part of the United Kingdom. The current police estate remains 70% bigger in comparison to other UK police services of comparable size; it reflects the demands of a very different era in policing.”
Mr. Robinson insisted policing in E District was central to the local community, but underused buildings, he said, did not contribute toward it; police officers and staff working in the local community did.
“You are constantly engaging with us in different ways,” he said, “from online reporting to interaction through social media to contacting your local neighbourhood policing teams directly through telephone numbers provided on our website.
“As a result of this fewer people are visiting or using police stations.
“The introduction of Blackberry smartphones for frontline police officers has reduced the need for officers to return to a police station to complete administrative tasks.
“This has already increased the amount of patrol time per officer, per shift, by over 15%; an extra hour per officer, per shift, is spent on the street, in your community.”
Turning to savings, the police chief said the PSNI, in common with all other UK police services
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Weather for Dromore
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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