Darwen police station hit by cutbacks

6:00pm Friday 10th August 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Simone Yates

THE inquiry desk at Darwen Police Station is to close two days per week as part of cutbacks, it can be revealed.

Police said the move would enable more officers to be out on the beat.

The current operating hours are also being reduced every day.

The desk will be closed on a Sunday and Monday, then being open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 2pm and then 3pm - 6pm. Currently the desk is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

The changes will be implemented from October 1.

Labour Coun Trevor Maxfield said: “In an ideal world it would be open around the clock, but sadly the current police cuts this has to be done to save jobs and keep more police officers on the streets.”

Last year the front desk was set to close as part of a cost cutting plan to save Lancashire police £42 million. But after a three-month consultation, and a local campaign to save it, Darwen’s stayed open.

With the reduced hours in place Liberal Democrat Coun Victoria Rothwell said that the situation was ‘sad.’ She said: “I am really not happy with this and I feel that there should be a police presence and a friendly face on the desk at all times. Almost 90 per cent of the people that I have spoken to are disappointed with this. The community doesn’t feel safe - there has always been coverage on Darwen’s front desk and its a shame. We really want them to stay.”

A police spokesman said, “In October 2012 changes will come into place that affects a number of police stations across Lancashire.

“This follows a review of all stations and the services they offer in 2011 which made recommendations to close some facilities and to change the opening hours of others.

“The public were consulted throughout the process and due to the fact we have had to make savings of over £40m, difficult decisions have had to be made.

“For those stations that will have a change in the hours they are open to the public, this will come into effect from October 1st.”

Comments(16)

foxy lass says...
6:21pm Fri 10 Aug 12

How will civilian staff being not on the front desk allow for more officers out on the beat? The two jobs are totally seperate, unless their new plan is to put civilian front desk staff on the beat. More cut backs for Darwen. I wonder if the hours at Blackburn's 2 police stations have also been cut? Think probably not!!!!!

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Excluded again says...
7:59pm Fri 10 Aug 12

If you have to take £40million out of Lancashire's police budget, some staff have to go.

Should it be civilians staffing a front desk or bobbies out on the beat?

But the real question should be, why did the government cut too fast, too soon meaning that the police force had to find £40m cuts? And driving the country back into recession, so that the deficit is now coming down much more slowly anyway?

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California Blue says...
8:34pm Fri 10 Aug 12

Please note all criminals, all criminal activity must take place between the following hours. Thanks for your cooperation.

The desk will be closed on a Sunday and Monday, then being open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 2pm and then 3pm - 6pm.

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carrman2 says...
10:52pm Fri 10 Aug 12

The cutbacks are going too far,
The government have got it all wrong, They will pay Dearly

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english rose 1 says...
12:07pm Sat 11 Aug 12

foxy lass wrote:
How will civilian staff being not on the front desk allow for more officers out on the beat? The two jobs are totally seperate, unless their new plan is to put civilian front desk staff on the beat. More cut backs for Darwen. I wonder if the hours at Blackburn's 2 police stations have also been cut? Think probably not!!!!!
In effect Darwen has 2 police stations / front desks too. One on Union St & the one located within Darwen Town Hall for the community police. If anyone wants to see their local officers they can just pop into the town hall and ask for them during the time the town hall is open.

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Gene Hunt says...
6:51pm Sat 11 Aug 12

In 1994 Darwen had the following Police Officers:-
1 Chief Inspector
1 Inspector
6 Uniform Sergeants
35 Uniform Constables
3 Rural beat constables
1 Detective Sergeant
3 Detective constables

In 2012 Darwen has 1 Community Sergeant and 4 Community constables, none of whom actually work at the Police Station, and none of whom work beyond midnight on any given day.

Has Darwen really become such a safe place that the residents only need rely on the occasional passing Blackburn patrol?

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Paul The Octopus Lives! says...
9:29pm Sat 11 Aug 12

"The inquiry desk at Darwen Police Station is to close two days per week"

Do you mean the Enquiry Desk? I.e. a place where you go with your enquiries?

"Currently the desk is open seven days a week from 8pm to 8am."

What? Is it only open overnight then? The new opening hours are probably much more user friendly then!

Come on LET! This is poor and rushed even by your poor and rushed standards.

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Darwen Malc says...
9:56pm Sat 11 Aug 12

Oh for Gods sake, you whingers. How many of you have used the facility and how often? Exactly! Its an ENQUIRY desk. If its hardly ever used, whats the point? If you live in the Whitehall area, how much safer do you feel knowing theres an enquiry desk manned over half a mile away? Thats what phones are for! Call and make an enquiry - simples! The person answering the phone doesn't have to be in Darwen, and who's to say that the person who was previously on the enquiry desk was local anyway? If its an unecessary expense to keep it open it doesn't make sense to do so.

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Your ferret stinks says...
11:16am Sun 12 Aug 12

Didn't even realise darwens police station was open anymore, it just looks like a derelict concrete block construction that time has forgot, still it's got the cells and thats probably the only usefull thing in there, apart from the officers.

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english rose 1 says...
9:11pm Sun 12 Aug 12

Gene Hunt wrote:
In 1994 Darwen had the following Police Officers:-
1 Chief Inspector
1 Inspector
6 Uniform Sergeants
35 Uniform Constables
3 Rural beat constables
1 Detective Sergeant
3 Detective constables

In 2012 Darwen has 1 Community Sergeant and 4 Community constables, none of whom actually work at the Police Station, and none of whom work beyond midnight on any given day.

Has Darwen really become such a safe place that the residents only need rely on the occasional passing Blackburn patrol?
The following police numbers in Darwen were advertised by the police in the paper last year:

2 x Sergeants.
3 x Town Centre / West Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
2 x East Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
1 x North Area Officer + 3 x PCSO.
1 x South Area Officer + 2 x PCSO.
1 x Rural Areas Officer + 2 x PCSO.

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peely says...
10:30pm Sun 12 Aug 12

Gene Hunt wrote:
In 1994 Darwen had the following Police Officers:-
1 Chief Inspector
1 Inspector
6 Uniform Sergeants
35 Uniform Constables
3 Rural beat constables
1 Detective Sergeant
3 Detective constables

In 2012 Darwen has 1 Community Sergeant and 4 Community constables, none of whom actually work at the Police Station, and none of whom work beyond midnight on any given day.

Has Darwen really become such a safe place that the residents only need rely on the occasional passing Blackburn patrol?
Think they might have been a bit over staffed then Gene don't you think!

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ray_carlings_moustache says...
7:42am Mon 13 Aug 12

"Currently the desk is open seven days a week from 8pm to 8am." That SHOULD read 8am - 8pm.

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ray_carlings_moustache says...
7:43am Mon 13 Aug 12

peely wrote:
Gene Hunt wrote:
In 1994 Darwen had the following Police Officers:-
1 Chief Inspector
1 Inspector
6 Uniform Sergeants
35 Uniform Constables
3 Rural beat constables
1 Detective Sergeant
3 Detective constables

In 2012 Darwen has 1 Community Sergeant and 4 Community constables, none of whom actually work at the Police Station, and none of whom work beyond midnight on any given day.

Has Darwen really become such a safe place that the residents only need rely on the occasional passing Blackburn patrol?
Think they might have been a bit over staffed then Gene don't you think!
You really have no idea peely......

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ray_carlings_moustache says...
7:47am Mon 13 Aug 12

english rose 1 wrote:
Gene Hunt wrote:
In 1994 Darwen had the following Police Officers:-
1 Chief Inspector
1 Inspector
6 Uniform Sergeants
35 Uniform Constables
3 Rural beat constables
1 Detective Sergeant
3 Detective constables

In 2012 Darwen has 1 Community Sergeant and 4 Community constables, none of whom actually work at the Police Station, and none of whom work beyond midnight on any given day.

Has Darwen really become such a safe place that the residents only need rely on the occasional passing Blackburn patrol?
The following police numbers in Darwen were advertised by the police in the paper last year:

2 x Sergeants.
3 x Town Centre / West Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
2 x East Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
1 x North Area Officer + 3 x PCSO.
1 x South Area Officer + 2 x PCSO.
1 x Rural Areas Officer + 2 x PCSO.
"The following police numbers in Darwen were advertised by the police in the paper last year:

2 x Sergeants.
3 x Town Centre / West Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
2 x East Area Officers + 2 x PCSO.
1 x North Area Officer + 3 x PCSO.
1 x South Area Officer + 2 x PCSO.
1 x Rural Areas Officer + 2 x PCSO.
That should read:

1 x Sergeant
2 x Town Centre/ West area officers + 2 PCSO
1 x East Area Officer + 3 PCSO
1 x South Area Officer + 2 x PCSO.
1 x Rural Areas Officer + 2 x PCSO

And where have these Darwen officers been lost to? BLACKBURN.

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ray_carlings_moustache says...
7:49am Mon 13 Aug 12

Your ferret stinks wrote:
Didn't even realise darwens police station was open anymore, it just looks like a derelict concrete block construction that time has forgot, still it's got the cells and thats probably the only usefull thing in there, apart from the officers.
There are no cells at Darwen and haven't been for a long time.

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pbrock says...
5:00pm Mon 13 Aug 12

I am under the impression that recent reports indicate crime is down; therefore, the corollary of this is that less police are required ;-)

Comment for the reporter - it is an 'enquiry' desk and not an 'inquiry' desk.

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