The Conservative candidate for the Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner elections on May 6 has vowed to oppose the move of Newark police station if elected and undertake a full public consultation and review of the decision.
Nottinghamshire Police recently announced its intention to move Newark police station to Newark and Sherwood District Council offices at Castle House, in a move which would see the closure of a £7m building opened in just 2006.
Commenting on the closure, Caroline Henry said: “While the current Labour commissioner splashes the cash on a new £17m police station in Nottingham, yet again Newark loses out and has its services cut once again.
“I’m fed up of Newark and other towns across Nottinghamshire losing out while Nottingham gets all the resource.
“This is a perfectly decent building, the closure of which the force admit will only save £100,000 a year. Moving it to the other side of a train barrier which is regularly closed for long periods of time beggars belief.”
“Crime has risen 35% in Newark since the current commissioner was elected, and Newark has lost its custody suite and now its entire police station. It’s not acceptable and Newark must not be ignored any longer. If Paddy Tipping won’t consult the people of Newark, I will” she said.
The election on 6 May will see the county vote for a new Police & Crime Commissioner for a shortened term of three years due to changes to the elections as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Caroline Henry has pledged to deliver 100 more officers in 2021 alone and oversee a policing strategy to put more focus on the victims of crime.