Councillors meet with Chief Constable as frontline officers move to Leighton Buzzard's Bossard House
Bedfordshire Police say a dedicated patrol car remains based in the town “wherever possible”
Town councillors met with the chief constable to mark what's hoped will be a new era of policing in Leighton Buzzard.
Bedfordshire Police’s community policing team will start making the move to Bossard House over the coming weeks as the West Street facility “begins to take shape”. It opened in September and has been used by patrol officers for the past few months, but will now see the arrival of "frontline" police.
To mark the occasion, town councillors were invited to meet with Andrew Selous MP and the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, Trevor Rodenhurst, to discuss plans for the new facility. And it was agreed there will be regular reviews.
Councillor Clive Palmer (Southcott ward) said: "We had a meeting with the chief constable, which was very useful and had a good, positive exchange of views about the situation of policing in the town and the perception that we needed a more visible and numerous police presence. Jim Goldsmith, chief inspector, also attended and was very forthright, a breath of fresh air. He obviously wanted to move things forward."
The force says a dedicated patrol car remains based in the town “wherever possible”, while community officers will continue to publicise when they are carrying out engagements or attending events.
Cllr Palmer added: "It's in the very early stages. I believe plans are formulated for it to be rather more of a focal point than we've had in the past. We await the outcome."
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “Patrol officers who respond to 999 calls are now able to work from Bossard House between jobs to complete administrative tasks, reducing the need for officers to drive back to either Dunstable or Luton.
"Though there are no plans for the site itself to be open to the public, the PCC has funded a new public service terminal that will be placed at Leighton Buzzard Library in the coming weeks. The innovative technology will offer another way for the community to easily report crime, access support and communicate with officers on non-emergency matters.”
The hub initiative was the result of concerns raised about crime levels and police response times, seeing Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye work with the Chief Constable to secure the new base.
“Since securing Bossard House, I have received some positive feedback from members of the community about the difference this will make to the town,” said Mr Akinbusoye. “In addition to increasing the town’s police presence by establishing this new hub, I’m particularly pleased to soon be launching our new terminals.”
Chief Superintendent John Murphy said: “Once the transition is complete, we will withdraw from Leighton Buzzard Fire Station, making Bossard House our new community policing hub alongside its role as an agile working site for patrol officers.
"In an emergency, we would always advise calling 999. However, crime and other non-emergency incidents can be reported via 101, online and soon via the new public access terminals the PCC has funded. In the case where further information or a statement is required, then an appointment for such can be arranged as a home visit or even at Bossard House itself.”