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Dorset's new crime commissioner welcomes opening of Swanage Pathway (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Dorset's new crime commissioner welcomes opening of Swanage Pathway
4:00pm Friday 7th December 2012 in News By Joanna Codd
CEREMONY: Tracey Baker, Mayor of Swanage Cllr Bill Trite, Commissioner Martin Underhill, Insp Chris Weekes and the town crier open the new Swanage Pathway police office
DORSET’S new police and crime commissioner has described the new facility that replaces Swanage Police Station as “the way forward.”
Martyn Underhill was speaking at the official opening of Swanage Pathway in an annexe of the Town Hall. The building has both a police and council receptionist and provides a base for the Safer Neighbourhood Team.
Mr Underhill said: “Some members of the public contacted me saying: ‘We have lost our police to Wareham’, but how many people knew where the old police station was? It would have cost over £400,000 to keep it going.
“This ... is a collaborative project and I think that’s the way forward. It’s a better location because it’s more central to the town.
“Christchurch is the next target and the council has offered us a similar facility. In addition to the police station, we would like to have an office front in the Town Hall. It increases the possibility of police contact.”
Among the services provided at Pathway are updates for victims of crime, recording of lost property, taking messages for officers, and dealing with issues over car parking, cemeteries, parks, town hall bookings, receiving payments and information about council meetings.
Visitors will also be able to use a direct telephone link to Dorset Police’s inquiry centre, where crime details will be recorded by call handlers.
Some services previously provided at the old police station move to Wareham, including document production, bail registration and surrender of firearms.
Purbeck Neighbourhood Ins-pector Tracey Baker said: “This new facility will provide the Swanage community and visitors with a shared service where they will be able to access a range of information and services linked to both police and the local authority.
“The opening of Swanage Pathway enables us to continue policing the town from a local base, with Safer Neighbourhood teams starting and completing their duties from the facility as they previously did from the police station.
“Patrol officers will continue to be based at Wareham, as they currently are, and will provide a policing response and presence in Swanage.”
Swanage Mayor Cllr Bill Trite said: “The opening of the Pathway responds to the current budgetary restraints affecting the public sector.
“Joint working between the police and council will provide an improved service to the community and neighbouring villages.”
l Swanage Pathway will be open 10am to 1pm and 2 to 3pm October to March, and 10am to 1pm, 2 to 4pm April to September. It will be closed on bank holidays.
Comments(23)
pete woodley
says...
4:36pm Fri 7 Dec 12
A Lofty
says...
4:48pm Fri 7 Dec 12
SeafaringMan
says...
5:47pm Fri 7 Dec 12
A Lofty wrote:Perhaps you should have found out about his background before the election, you might then have bothered to vote. His background is a retired senior police officer.
Mmmm. Publicity mad indeed. This is just the start.... This guy has to be voted back into his (very) well paid job at some point in the future. Much like a politician, (I honestly have no idea what his background is), he will most likely do and say anything that he thinks will make him popular and will get him re-elected. I'm sure that any changes he makes to the policing of Dorset will be made objectively and with the best interests of the community in mind and not simply to feather his nest......
SeafaringMan
says...
5:57pm Fri 7 Dec 12
LINFOST
says...
7:02pm Fri 7 Dec 12
phonehome
says...
8:09pm Fri 7 Dec 12
What was wrong with it being called Swanage Police Station?
Old Colonial
says...
8:23pm Fri 7 Dec 12
muscliffman
says...
9:25pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Old Colonial wrote:Not a good choice of name in current circumstances is it.
"Pathway"? Oh for heaven's sake!
In another Government service the same name is used to identify a controversial and deliberate policy that results in the death of very ill NHS patients.
Indeed I thought this article was on that topic at first!
Oooops.
karalinda
says...
9:31pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Police Station is.
What a condescending statement to make, a big mistake Mr Underhill, Swanage people don’t take kindly to these sort of comments. Listen to the local people and not the statistics that have been given to you
caz maz
says...
11:08pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Mmmmm how long for? before they are all moved and based in Poole and Wareham police station is closed and made in to a "pathway" May be this is already on the cards!
karalinda
says...
11:38pm Fri 7 Dec 12
SeafaringMan wrote:We did not have any information on any of the candidates before the election was held, I wasn't going to vote on anyone without knowing what they stood for, and it was their place to campaign, the whole exercise was a disgrace and terrible waste of money that could have been used in better ways in policing the country.
A Lofty wrote:Perhaps you should have found out about his background before the election, you might then have bothered to vote. His background is a retired senior police officer.
Mmmm. Publicity mad indeed. This is just the start.... This guy has to be voted back into his (very) well paid job at some point in the future. Much like a politician, (I honestly have no idea what his background is), he will most likely do and say anything that he thinks will make him popular and will get him re-elected. I'm sure that any changes he makes to the policing of Dorset will be made objectively and with the best interests of the community in mind and not simply to feather his nest......
rosemary_ella
says...
12:43am Sat 8 Dec 12
rosemary_ella
says...
12:46am Sat 8 Dec 12
manyogie
says...
6:59am Sat 8 Dec 12
Stop attending the opening of a crisp bag n do your job martin.
John T
says...
8:17am Sat 8 Dec 12
pete woodley wrote:I am delighted to see that you have returned from hospital in good heart, albeit 'wearing your heart on your sleeve'.
The mans publicity mad.
karalinda
says...
9:06am Sat 8 Dec 12
rosemary_ella wrote:I agree with this comment, how is the sum of £400,000 arrived at, public information please Mr Underhill. When will you attend an Open Meeting with the people of Swanage to discuss the closure of Swanage Police Station and to answer just what is available at this ridiculously named Pathway Office??
And when I say ridiculous statement, I am referring to Mr Underhill saying that people don't even know where Swanage police station is. Also, I'd like to know where the £400,000 figure has appeared from and more information about it. I cannot see how it is going to cost that amount to run every year. The Police Station has been there for over 100 years!!
Azphreal
says...
10:06am Sat 8 Dec 12
Yankee1
says...
10:44pm Sat 8 Dec 12
Why not do what we do in the States?
Creates sub-police stations in high (comprehensive) schools. Armed coppers in schools.
And have armed response units always within a 2 minute trip.
It saves money. If that is the point.
You folk DO like to copy our silliness, don't you?
step up
says...
12:10am Mon 10 Dec 12
charliethebikemonger
says...
8:52am Mon 10 Dec 12
What would a call out time be on a sunny weekend when the roads are busy: Wareham to Swanage... 1 hour?
Even after reading his article I do not understand what police services this office offers. It's just a lost property office.
"how many people know where the old police station actually was" ....
How many people know who the hell you are?
How many people know who actually backed your campaign?
How many people know what POLICE SERVICES this office actually offers?
youknowimrightright
says...
11:29am Mon 10 Dec 12
Bill Trite
says...
5:00pm Tue 11 Dec 12
1. The decision to close Swanage police station was taken by Dorset Police long before Martyn Underhill became PCC;
2. Swanage Town Council didn't want the police station to close but couldn't stop it, so invited the police to retain an operational base in Swanage in the annexe to the town hall. This was a less costly option than maintaining the police station, although in an era of squeezed public finances the police are presumably looking forward to the proceeds of selling it. There are also economies of scale in the Council and police sharing an inquiry desk in the annexe;
3. The Town Council invited Martyn Underhill to the opening of these new facilities. He's then told to "Do your job" rather than visit Swanage. Had he refused to attend, the fault-finding brigade would doubtless then pillory him for being too self-important to bother with this corner of Dorset;
4. 'Pathway' simply derives from 'Police and Town Hall', but if the name threatens the future existence of the planet it can be changed;
5. Certain police services have not been retained at the town hall annexe but most have, so the Council believes these changes still serve the local public interest better than the alternative - complete police withdrawal to Wareham.
Bill Trite
Swanage Town Mayor
crispy_pants says...
4:05pm Fri 7 Dec 12