Support for Police Base in Witham at Public Meeting
Witham MP Priti Patel has welcomed the support expressed for a police base in Witham during a public meeting in Witham Public Hall [31 May 2018] and a commitment given by the Police to look at establishing one. The meeting, which was attended by over 100 local residents and chaired by Priti, heard from Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst that the Police are committed to looking to make use of facilities in Witham to establish a base to have a more visible presence in the Town. The co-location of a Police base with other community facilities or services in the Town is an option being considered. Other issues raised included police responses, the increase in police numbers, engagement with schools and young people, and the roll out of more special constables. Speaking after the meeting Priti said:
“Crime and anti-social behaviour in Witham has been affecting residents and businesses. The presence of the Commissioner and senior police officers in Witham shows that they are taking the issue seriously and it was important to hear from the police how they are dealing with crime locally. We are going to see an increase in police numbers, which is welcome and a renewed focus on improving visibility. Since the police station closed we have been calling for a police presence and a base in the Town. I am pleased that the Commissioner has listened to residents and committed to look into this. We have a number of locations and community spaces in the Town which the police could use and I hope progress will be made on getting a base up and running.”
“I want to thank the community in Witham for coming together to show how much they want to see our streets made safer. The meeting was very constructive with questions asked and suggestions coming forward on how we can all work better together address criminal behaviour. A number of community organisations and volunteers are working to provide activities for young people and I am delighted that we are seeing more special constables. The issues raised will be followed up and we will be holding a further meeting later in the year too.”
