Great Aycliffe Residents’ Association have called a Public Meeting to discuss “Policing”. on Thursday September 20th at 7pm in St. Mary’s Church.
Chairman of the Police Authority, Peter Thompson, has been invited to answer a range of questions including the type of Police Office being proposed for the Town Centre, the future of the old Police Station site and the temporary rented Police Station premises on the Business Park.
GARA’s survey conducted in June, to gauge public opinion, has shown the Police Authority that the townspeople want a Town Centre presence. This seems to be accepted and proposals have been made to use part of the Fire Station Offices for Police Station business.
However we are told there will be times when the office will have no staff to give face to face contact with the general public and in that instance a telephone will be available to talk to police at another office. This seems not to satisfy residents who say if it is just a phone call needed they can use their own phone without visiting the station. The Police say that is what happens in most towns and in the majority of cases telephone contact is the norm.
The general view is that a town of 30,000 people should have a proper Police Station at the core of the population. to provide a perception of security.
The answer to all these questions is probably “response time” and this will be debated thoroughly at the meeting to which everyone is invited. Please make a date in your diary to attend and pose your question. If you prefer to send in a written question please contact the Secretary Arun Chandran on e-mail: ArunMChandran@aol.com; Chairman Syd Howarth on 320 901, e-mail: syd@newtonpress.net
