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Pendleton police counter could close in cuts plan


The public walk-in enquiry counter at Pendleton police station in Salford could close under a new plan by Greater Manchester Police.

The last police review of public enquiry counters across the region in 2011 found that many were rarely used and costing the force £4.8m to keep open.

Then, the number of counters was culled from 55 to 22.

Now the police say even those 22 are not used often enough to be worth staffing and keeping open.

Greater Manchester Police are proposing to close the public enquiry counter at Pendleton police station on Belvedere Road.

Pendleton police station itself would remain open.

The counter at Swinton police station on Chorley Road would also remain open under the plans.

It would leave just 10 public enquiry counters open across Greater Manchester.

Among the counters slated for closure elsewhere in the city region are: Leigh, Chadderton, Middleton, Horwich, Whitefield, Wythenshawe, Stockport, Hyde and Altrincham.

GMP have emphasised that it is “absolutely crucial” efforts are made to provide people with suitable contact methods and ensure limited resources are used effectively.

The force says the move comes on the back of falling demand for walk-ins, along with severe budget restraints.

A rise in the use of the non-emergency 101 number to report crime along with a vast increase in the public engagement with local officers on Facebook and Twitter has also prompted this second review.

Greater Manchester Police are calling for Salford residents to get involved in a public consultation launched this week and complete this online survey.

A spokesperson for the force said: “It’s absolutely crucial that we work with you to provide contact methods that suit your needs while also ensuring our limited resources are appropriately allocated.

“This survey and feedback sessions that we’ll be bringing to each of our boroughs will help us to do this.

“It continues our commitment to developing the most effective possible services and will identify how we can adapt to changes in the ways that people contact us.”

The consultation will run until 26 September.

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