LETTER: Reconsider Barnoldswick police closures

THE following correspondence is a copy of a letter sent to the Chief Constable of Lancashire regarding proposed cuts to the police service we reported last week.

I NOTE this week’s news that in addition to the closure of the office in Earby, you are considering withdrawing “front-desk facilities” at Barnoldswick and the nearest office where a resident will be able to interact face to face with an officer over the counter will be in Colne.

When the facility to speak directly to an officer in our local police station by telephone was withdrawn and the communications centre at Burnley took over, I protested to the then Chief Constable and took the trouble to meet the inspector at Burnley.

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He was not listening to my case and spent the time I was with him “proving” to me his system was more efficient and working well. He did not recognise my point that by removing the point of contact to Burnley, the interface between citizens and police was being eroded.

I am sure you will recognise the dictum that effective policing is served best by co-operation with and support from the public. If you examine the occasions when there is friction between the police and public, you will find this is where this principle is abandoned in favour of imposition.

The most effective way to improve this co-operation and support is by maintaining a personal interface between the force and residents. At the moment, this is served well in Barnoldswick by a young lady called Rachel who isn’t costing you a fortune and no doubt has peripheral duties as well.

Please reconsider this cut in services which will further erode contact with the police and is a retrograde step. How much more erosion of the interface can the system stand?

STANLEY CHALLENGER GRAHAM

East Hill Street,

Barnoldswick