By Alan Irving

Published at 11:11, Thursday, 17 May 2012

CUMBRIA Constabulary is asking people whether or not they still want to be able to contact the police at the counter.

“We currently spend around £1 million a year on maintaining our front counter services, which equates to the amount we would need to employ around 30 police officers,” says the Constabulary.

Several options are being put forward but in Copeland only Whitehaven police station seems sure to have a counter service – at this stage.

Cleator Moor station is not only closed but up for sale and there is not likely to be any over-the-counter facility in the town as it is only four miles from Whitehaven.

Egremont and Millom may also be left ‘counter-less’ but nothing has been decided.

Both stations are due to close and re-located to alternative accommodation in the respective towns.

One of the options suggests the use of other agencies (such as local councils or fire stations) to provide access to police services.

It is in this category that people in Egremont and Millom may still be able to pop in for personal contact.

Only five main county stations – Barrow, Kendal, Workington, Whitehaven and Durranhill in Carlisle -– are scheduled to retain counter service from the present 17.

To cut running costs Egremont police officers, who are already said to spend most of their time in the community, will re-locate to shared accommodation in the fire station (behind Main Street) and Millom officers will move to the Millom Network Centre.

Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said: “During our last annual consultation we asked the public about contacting the police. We were informed that 58 per cent of the public preferred to contact us via the telephone in non-emergencies and 29 per cent think we should make greater use of electronic ways of contacting people.”

A questionnaire is published this week on the website, www.cumbria.police.uk, and is also available at front counters.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk