Ex-copper attacks plans to cut station opening hours

A FORMER Wisbech police officer has dubbed plans to cut opening hours at the town’s police station as unfair.

Cambridgeshire Police wants to offer “new and more relevant” opening times at its stations because it claims they are “open for long hours when few use them”.

But David Green, who retired as an officer at Wisbech two years ago following 30 years of service, fears the public would suffer.

He said: “This is an extremely vindictive proposal. They are trying to save money and it is not actually what the public want.

“They have not looked properly at how people will actually be affected.”

After a public consultation into when people use stations, Chief Constable Julie Spence said: “Not surprisingly, research showed that few people want to visit a police station during the night to report a routine matter.”

She said reducing general access times means that stations would be “open when you want them to be” and allow the force to “do away with the practice of having front counters staffed needlessly”.

Mrs Spence also said: “Interestingly, officers are not found in police stations, they are actually out on the ground dealing with the cases and calls from members of the public.”

But Mr Green believes Mrs Spence’s approach defeats the purpose of a police station.

He said: “If it only opens between 9am and 5pm most people are at work. They can’t actually use it.”