Chief inspectors from Staffordshire Police explained the reasons for a possible building share with Stone Town Council at a public meeting at Walton Community Centre.
Chief Inspector Paul Trevor, the Stafford Borough Local Policing Team Commander, and Chief Inspector Jon Drake, the head of community policing for Staffordshire, both moved to reassure people that they remain committed to the town.
Chief Inspector Drake said: “We’re absolutely committed to local policing in Stone. The future for community policing in the town is the same – there’ll be a neighbourhood policing team based in Stone, just not at the police station.”
The county-wide force has to make £38 million worth of savings and Chief Inspector Drake said the number of officers would not change for the next two years (there are currently a sergeant, three PCs and two community support officers based in the town). Chief Inspector Drake said he could not promise anything beyond the next two years, when the force will find out how much funding it will receive from the Government.
Chief Inspector Paul Trevor stressed that the police station in Radford Street is “not fit for modern, 21st century policing”. He told the meeting: “It’s a waste of money as we only use four of the 21 rooms. The town council building will be much better for us than the current building.”
He stressed that plans to move into the town council site are at an early stage. Chief Superintendent Drake said the police station would be sold or redeveloped but that it had not been valued yet.
Click here to read the Stone police newsletter on the planned move into the town council building.
