21st century policing or dressed up cuts?

The report speaks in broad general terms, claiming, ominously, that many police stations are ‘not fit for purpose’ without going into any real detail as to why that is.

Why is a police station such as the one at Battle, which has been an important fixture in the town for generations, suddenly not up to the job anymore?

Sussex Police Commissioner Katy Bourne speaks of policing for the 21st century needing to utilise community hubs and public contact points, but what exactly is meant by that? It seems rather vague and nebulous to us. She also states: “It is about putting policing back at the heart of the community.” - well where have police stations such as those at Rye and Battle been for the past decades? Are they not at the heart of the community, instantly recognisable and in a place where people know where to find them?

Our view is that if it’s not broken then don’t fix it and the report has not demonstrated clearly or provided the solid evidence as to why things are broken. Much of the report and associated rhetoric seems to want to disguise the fact that this is about cuts.

We cant’ help feeling that not having a visible, accessible police station in Rye would be the thin end of a narrow blue wedge.