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Who decides to close a police station?

Does anyone know, rather than guess ;), who decides which police station should be closed in a region? I'm writing something and need to know. I got the weirdest look when I went into my local police station to ask. :O

Quote: ContainsNuts @ August 5 2009, 4:26 PM BST

Does anyone know, rather than guess ;), who decides which police station should be closed in a region? I'm writing something and need to know. I got the weirdest look when I went into my local police station to ask. :O

I would GUESS it's a really boring answer about budgets and the like. I.e., if a police force can't afford to keep a station open, they close it.

I would agree with Chip.

No doubt some beanpusher in an office somewhere down the corridor to the Chief Constable.

The region's senior officer would have ultimate responsibility, but it would almost certainly be a nameless civil servant.

Would it be because there's no crime in the area or too much?

Shit, this country's really in trouble if an area's so rough even the police are moving house.

I actually got trapped in a closed down police station once. It was cool, all these L.A. gang members tried to break in and we were shooting them with guns, 'pee-chu, pee-chu, blam' and by the end, I had to shoot this bottle of compressed gas, which went all like, ka-boom and the gang members went all 'arrgh' and flew through the air. Ace.

I wasn't in the re-make though, that was shit.

Quote: Tim Walker @ August 5 2009, 7:27 PM BST

Shit, this country's really in trouble if an area's so rough even the police are moving house.

Laughing out loud

My local police station was broken into last year! Yeah, don't believe it. I'll find the article on Google in a mo...

They have shops now.

Well, not my nearest police station, but it appears to happen quite a lot...

http://www.officerresource.com/forums/f5/police-department-broken-into-suspects-steal-marijuana-evidence-storage-16478/

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/06/05/1212258951253.html?feed=fairfaxdigitalxml

...and so on...

A budgetary-induced review of resources/logistics may lead to a facility being considered for closure. The Police are primarily funded from Council Tax, with match-funding or top-up from Government.

Most County Councils will have a "Strategic Partnership Board", an executive body which discusses service needs/levels within their area. The Police/emergency services are represented on this Board.

If, for example, a Police station is owned by the County's Property Services division, it may be felt that selling/re-using the building will benefit the Police budget without detriment to community service levels.

It will always be seen as a Police decision but the core discussion will involve [and be guided by] all members of the Strategic Partnership.

Hope that snippet helps!

Thanks everyone - some helpful and some weird replies! :P

Whichever government department the polis falls under. Probably the Home Office in the UK.

The Mayor. And then they go and open up a mini police station in the local newsagent.

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