Saqib Bhatti, MP for Meriden, has written a letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands urging him to install a front desk at Chelmsley Wood Police Station. Saqib has raised concerns that with the proposed closure of Solihull Police Station, his constituents would be left without any front-facing facilities.
Saqib argued that the actions of the PCC are in complete contrast with the government’s increased funding and recruitment initiatives which will bring 867 new police officers to the West Midlands.
Mr Bhatti previously raised his concerns on the closure of Solihull Police Station in the Commons in January of this year.
Commenting on the lack of front-facing facilities:
Over the last few weeks, I have been speaking to residents in the north of my constituency who are worried about anti-social behaviour in the areas in which they live.
I believe the closure of Solihull Police Station along with the lack of public-facing facilities at Chelmsley Wood Police Station is putting the safety of my constituents at risk and does nothing to tackle the anti-social behaviour they are worried about.
Writing in his letter:
The failure to commit to keeping a fully functional police station in Solihull means the borough of Solihull would have no front-facing desk open to the public.
The lack of accessibility for my constituents undermines public faith in our policing and is simply not good enough.
The proposed closure of Solihull Police Station and the lack of public-facing facilities at Chelmsley Wood Police Station is inconsistent with the level of funding and support that the government has introduced.
Image taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chelmsley_Wood_Police_Station_-_geog…
