Following the announcement last week that police presence in the city is to be further reduced from the start of September, MP Wera Hobhouse is calling for the return of a ‘proper’ police station to Bath.
Avon and Somerset Police announced last week that their enquiry office, which is based at the One Stop Shop on Manvers Street in Bath, would be closing at weekends and reducing its weekday hours from 3rd September.
Wera said: “At a time when we are seeing huge rises in crime, it does not seem right to be further cutting services from the city.
“The police need a proper station back in Bath as soon as possible. It’s an insult to our city that we don’t have one.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 135,233 crimes last year.
Figures show that sexual offences, robberies and violent offending all increased last year. Bath has also seen a jump in youth crime, with reports suggesting that young people believe that there are now no police in the city, and they won’t get caught.
Wera continued: “We are now facing proposals to reduce the number of hours the One Stop Shop is open, and to completely close it over the weekend.
“This is absurd given the evidence of what’s happening in Bath. Neighbourhood Watches have been reporting more break ins, and more robberies.
The dedicated police station in Bath closed in 2015
“I’ve also been hearing reports of of residents and visitors being repeatedly subjected to aggressive begging, witnessing open drug taking on our streets and even violent crime.
“Criminals are feeling brazen enough to fight one another with machetes in the middle of the city. It’s a very dangerous state of affairs.”
“Last Saturday night Bath was mainly being policed by volunteers! Whilst it is commendable that people are willing to volunteer their time to help keep us safe, and whilst there clearly were some paid police officers, I think the balance has been lost.
“I completely agree with my colleague Dine Romero when she says that the Tories don’t have a plan to combat this.”
“I’m told police officers are saying that a city the size of Bath needs a centrally located police station, and that the office tucked away behind the car dealership is not adequate. They are right, as are resident’s groups.”
In a statement provided last week, Avon and Somerset Police said their “priority is to have enquiry offices across the area open at times that our communities need them and neighbourhood police officers will continue to work in their local communities, as they do now”.
