Staffordshire Police has been told to show it still has a commitment to Burntwood after plans to close the front desk at Chasetown police station were unveiled.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis has said the town’s public-facing desk will be one of three axed before the end of October.
He said that the need to balance budgets meant keeping officers on the beat had to take preference.
But local Labour leader, Cllr Sue Woodward, said Mr Ellis needed to get alternative plans up and running before locking the doors for good.
“I can quite understand why the Police and Crime Commissioner wants to look at getting value for money,” she said. “With decreasing numbers using the station, it’s a no-brainer to look at it as an opportunity to make savings.
“I would welcome the idea of new police posts in a communities as he has outlined, but these should be in place before they close that front desk.
“If they don’t then it’ll be seen as just a cost-cutting exercise with Burntwood taking the hit.”
Cllr Woodward said that Burntwood residents, who have been left scarred by broken promises on services in the past, need to see action before buying into Mr Ellis’ plans.
“If it’s really about community resilience then get that sorted first,” she said. “Because even with phones and the internet in place, people will sometimes want to have the chance to see an officer face-to-face.
“Yes, the police have got to think very carefully about how they replicate services so they are fit for the 21st Century and not Dixon of Dock Green, but they also have to make sure that the commitments to police posts and additional personnel actually happen before they close something.
“We’ve seen this with health centres, childrens centres, youth clubs etc – it’s all well and good promising jam tomorrow, but we want to see evidence of services continuing, because once you’ve left a gap it becomes more and more difficult to put the pieces back.”
