The closure of a police custody suite in Basildon raises serious safety concerns for the community and local law enforcement.
Basildon: The closure of a police custody suite in Basildon has got people talking. Council leader Gavin Callaghan is really worried about it. He thinks it’s a bad move that could hurt public safety.
Callaghan has reached out to Roger Hirst, the Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner for Essex, to express his concerns. Hirst argues that crime in Basildon is actually going down, and these decisions are made after careful thought and consultation.
The custody suite has been closed since March last year. Callaghan pointed out that officers are spending too much time traveling to Southend to process detainees. This takes them away from patrolling the streets, which is a big deal in a place like Basildon, where community safety is a top priority.
He believes that closing the custody suite sends the wrong message to residents, especially when they’re already worried about crime. Hirst, on the other hand, insists that crime rates are falling and that the closure hasn’t really impacted operations much.
In fact, he mentioned that Basildon has received a good chunk of funding for safety projects, which has helped reduce crime even more. Chief Inspector Dan McHugh also chimed in, saying that if you commit a crime in Essex, you’ll be caught. He reassured everyone that the police are still working hard to keep the community safe.
McHugh noted that Basildon officers made a ton of arrests last year and that crime is dropping faster than the average in Essex. He also invited Callaghan to join them on patrol to see the efforts firsthand. It’s clear that there’s a lot of back-and-forth on this issue, and the community is watching closely.
