IMPRESSIVE: The new Barrow police station. PICTURE BY JON GRANGER
10 March 2016 12:11PM
OCTOBER saw the opening of a new state-of-the-art Barrow police station.
The £8.6m, eco-friendly building has helped improve the service the
police provide to the community and allow staff to work more
effectively. The facility, in Andrews Way, houses 300 staff
members in an open plan environment, allowing officers to promote
information sharing leading to more effective policing.
South Cumbria superintendent Rob O'Connor said: “We have now been in the new police station for five months, and are settling in really well.
“It is a fantastic open-plan building, and I think that when people feel good about their working environment, it has a knock-on effect and they feel positive themselves.
“That can only be of benefit to the people of south Cumbria."
The
modern station has a large 18-cell custody suite which provides more
secure access and greater space for interviews and consultations.
Officers can book people into custody more smoothly, with less aggravation, allowing them to operate at a faster capacity.
Supt
O'Connor said: “This police station is about three groups of people.
Firstly it is about victims and witnesses coming here and feeling
comfortable to report crimes and what they have seen, and they can now
do that in a welcoming space.
“The second group is those people who don’t want to be with us, and spend the day or night in one of our 18 cells. The new complex is Home Office compliant with modern technology such as CCTV in each cell and many more interview and consultation rooms.
“The third group of people is the staff themselves who work in the building. The old police station was no longer fit for purpose, and this new building is state-of-the-art with fantastic facilities.”
Cumbria police and crime commissioner, Richard Rhodes, said the old station just wasn't appropriate for modern day policing. He said: "All the old police buildings mounted up high running costs and it was not cost effective to maintain them.
"The cells are now compliant with Home Office requirements and we are now able to work more closely with our partners in Victim Support and the Crown Prosecution Service in the same building.
"The move has also made a significant impact on the moral of officers.
"I don't think the fears expressed by some members of the public were realised when they raised concerns about it moving out of the town centre.
"There is still a daily police presence in The Forum with a police desk that people can pop along to from 10am to midday.
"Overall it's a very impressive building and a base for policing right across the south Lakes."
During the building process up to 80 per cent of labour was locally sourced.
The Barrow police station has a 60-year life span and can be recycled in the future.
Supt O'Connor, said: “This building will allow us to police well into this century and serve the people of south Cumbria. Many will argue it cost a lot of money, but I can assure them it is money well spent, and I continue to feel really privileged as a local lad in charge of policing and the first superintendent into this building."
The police station is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. The police desk at The Forum, in Duke Street, is open on a weekday basis from 10am to 1pm.
OPEN-PLAN: Inside the new Barrow police station. PICTURE BY JON GRANGER
South Cumbria superintendent Rob O'Connor said: “We have now been in the new police station for five months, and are settling in really well.
“It is a fantastic open-plan building, and I think that when people feel good about their working environment, it has a knock-on effect and they feel positive themselves.
“That can only be of benefit to the people of south Cumbria."
Officers can book people into custody more smoothly, with less aggravation, allowing them to operate at a faster capacity.
Superintendant Rob O'Connor. PICTURE BY MILTON HAWORTH
“The second group is those people who don’t want to be with us, and spend the day or night in one of our 18 cells. The new complex is Home Office compliant with modern technology such as CCTV in each cell and many more interview and consultation rooms.
“The third group of people is the staff themselves who work in the building. The old police station was no longer fit for purpose, and this new building is state-of-the-art with fantastic facilities.”
IN
THE SLAMMER: Richard Rhodes, police and crime commissioner Cumbria, was
among the first people to spend a night in the cells to raise money for
the newly established Victims Charitable Trust. PICTURE BY LEANNE
BOLGER
"The cells are now compliant with Home Office requirements and we are now able to work more closely with our partners in Victim Support and the Crown Prosecution Service in the same building.
"The move has also made a significant impact on the moral of officers.
"I don't think the fears expressed by some members of the public were realised when they raised concerns about it moving out of the town centre.
"There is still a daily police presence in The Forum with a police desk that people can pop along to from 10am to midday.
"Overall it's a very impressive building and a base for policing right across the south Lakes."
During the building process up to 80 per cent of labour was locally sourced.
OPERATIONAL: Inside the new Barrow police station. PICTURE BY LINDSEY DICKINGS
Supt O'Connor, said: “This building will allow us to police well into this century and serve the people of south Cumbria. Many will argue it cost a lot of money, but I can assure them it is money well spent, and I continue to feel really privileged as a local lad in charge of policing and the first superintendent into this building."
The police station is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. The police desk at The Forum, in Duke Street, is open on a weekday basis from 10am to 1pm.
