Tardis Boxes For Police 'Could Cut Costs'

Police forces could save money by opening modern versions of the Tardis police box made famous by Doctor Who, according to a report by a think tank.

The centre-right Policy Exchange believes the public could be better served if officers left police stations and moved into shopping centres and post offices.

It claims the move would make it easier for the public to report crimes such as anti-social behaviour, only a third of which are actually reported to the police.

Doctor Who actor Peter Davison poses in the Tardis in 1981

The boxes could also be used to take witness statements and for the public to discuss concerns and access information, the report said.

In London the number of people reporting crimes at police station front counters has fallen by more than 100,000 - almost half - since 2006, as people chose to report crime over the phone and online.

Faced with budget cuts of 20%, forces need to manage the police estate in a "smarter fashion" and become "more imaginative" with how they interact with the public, according to the report.

The report author, Professor Martin Innes, said: "The truth is that most crime is reported by phone, many stations are getting old and increasingly expensive to maintain and are often located in the wrong places, away from key population centres.

"Rather than just thinking about closing police stations, it might be more productive to engage local people in conversations about replacing outdated police stations with more local police offices."

Steve White, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: "This is something which has been happening around the country for many years.

"We support any initiative which directs funding to operational policing, however police stations are accessible to the public, all day and night, something which is not provided by local shops and businesses, therefore we hope this would be taken into account."

A modern version of the police box in Baltimore, USA (pic: Sturmovik)

A Home Office spokesman said: "Decisions about the most effective use of resources, including the number, location and operating hours of police stations are a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners.

"We encourage forces to look at new and innovative ways of providing face to face contact with the communities they serve.

"Police reform is working and crime is falling. What matters is not overall funding or numbers but how effective the police are at fighting crime."

The original Tardis (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) was a futuristic police box used by Doctor Who in the popular television series to travel anywhere and to any time in the universe.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Tardis Boxes For Police 'Could Cut Costs'

Dengan url

http://cobaagains.blogspot.com/2013/04/tardis-boxes-for-police-could-cut-costs.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Tardis Boxes For Police 'Could Cut Costs'

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Tardis Boxes For Police 'Could Cut Costs'

sebagai sumbernya