Tackling crime in the town centre should become a lot easier after dozens of officers moved in to a new base.
Members of Croydon police's Town Centre Team, officers from the borough's Safer Transport Team, special constables and Fairfield Safer Neighbourhood Team now call three floors of offices in Park Street home.
Inspector Simon Ellingham, who heads the Town Centre Team, is delighted to be closer to the heart of the town.
Instead of having to rush to and from Croydon police station, his officers will potentially be within seconds of town centre incidents.
He said: "This place is great news for our teams who, up until now, worked out of a tiny office at the police station.
"If you think there are about 30 Town Centre staff, 30 Safer Transport staff, up to 20 specials on a Friday or Saturday night and a Safer Neighbourhood team and probationers then that doesn't leave a lot of room to move.
"We only used to have four computers so our officers spread out around the police station to get access."
Now there is access to nine computers, as well as male and female locker rooms and offices.
Insp Ellingham added: "This new facility will not only increase the officers' sense of ownership and accessibility to the town centre, but it will make them feel like they are part of a team.
"We can all pull our resources together and have a direct line of contact with officers from other teams."
The new base, which used to be a Lloyds TSB branch, will not have a reception for people to report crimes or make enquiries.
It is rented by the Met Police from developer Minerva, who offered the premises after the collapse of the Park Place retail development.
The basement is the male locker room, the ground floor is a female locker room and the first floor houses the inspectors' office, a dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team office, a computer room, a sergeants' corner and a kitchen.
Insp Ellingham added: "It's come at last, the date for opening this base kept getting pushed back – we've been waiting for this moment for about two years."
Article from www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk
|