The Future of Policing in Stone - Part 1

Last night I attended a Public Meeting at the Walton Community Centre organised by Stone Town Council, ostensibly, to hear from senior police officers about the Future of Policing in Stone. About four dozen people attended but most were either councillors (past or present), members of the Stone Conservative party or from the press.

Initially we heard from Chief Inspector Paul Trevor who outlined a proposal to move the policing operation from the existing police station into spare accommodation in the Town Council offices. But then we heard a long rambling dissertation from Bill Cash MP and Cllr. Ian Parry about the changes that will take place later in the year when we will all be able to vote for a Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire who will have swingeing powers over the police. (Did we have sight of the Tory party's candidate last night?!)  And very little was said about what will happen to the old police station.

So in this posting - Part 1 - I will simply comment upon the suggested move to the Town Council offices in Station Road. I have quite a bit to say about the election of a Commisioner coming up later in the year but will deal with that in Part 2. And I have my own proposal as to what should be done with the old police station but that will have to wait for Part 3! A busy weekend ahead!

The move out of the existing station is inevitable. Only four out of twenty two rooms are now being used and it's costing £50,000 a year to heat and light the building. Only the Neighbourhood Policing team operate out of the building and this can easily be accommodated elsewhere. So a move to the Town Council offices makes a lot of sense. Slightly more accessible from the town and with on street parking outside - I can see the new premises being much more user friendly.

The police have stated that they are committed delivering local policing in Stone and operating the neighbourhood policing team from Stone station. However, last night I pressed them upon the length of that commitment and they could only reply that the commitment was valid for this and the next financial year. That worries me! I fully understand their problem. Their budget of around £200 million has to be cut by £39 million within three years. And 86% of their costs are wages! We can all work that one out. then, can't we! Let's see what happens in two years time.