New Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Cumbria

Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Cumbria are being restructured to improve community policing and ensure Cumbria Constabulary has an adaptable structure for the future.

Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham, who has responsibility for neighbourhood policing in Cumbria, said: “Creating larger Neighbourhood Policing Teams will help us maintain our policing service to the community by increasing resilience and providing increased flexibility at a local level. Cumbria Constabulary needs to save £18.6million by 2015 and our new team structure will ensure that we have the best policing service that we can afford.

“The newly expanded teams will continue responding to 999 and non-emergency calls as before, but will have the flexibility to target community priorities with a greater focus. Policing teams will continue to set community policing priorities by listening to local people at community and online meetings to ensure they can address the issues that matter most in each neighbourhood.

“We will work to a new shift pattern that ensures more Police Officers are on duty at key times. Combining this change with larger, more flexible teams will allow increased police visibility in the community."

The new Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be implemented on Monday 7 February 2011, for South Cumbria as follows;

• Barrow Borough - covering Barrow, Dalton and surrounding areas, led by Insp Dave Bosson.

• Ulverston & Lakes - covering Ulverston, the Lake District, the Grange Peninsula and surrounding areas, led by Insp Kevin Spedding.

• Kendal - covering Kendal, Milnthorpe, Kirkby Lonsdale and surrounding areas, led by Inspector Neil Allison.

ACC Graham continued: “The new teams will begin their shifts at ‘deployment centres’ before heading out into the community where they will continue using existing police stations and other bases. Officers and PCSO’s will remain dedicated to particular neighbourhoods, meaning you will still see a familiar face providing a consistent service.”

The new ‘deployment centres’ are as follows (A deployment centre acts as the hub station for that team, where officers will store kit and where they will begin their shift each day with a formal team briefing before being deployed into the community):

South Cumbria

• Barrow Borough – deploying from Barrow

• Ulverston & Lakes – deploying from Ulverston and Windermere

• Kendal – deploying from Kendal

ACC Graham said: “Cumbria Constabulary’s estate is being scrutinised as part of our attempts to save money and increase efficiency in the current economic climate. Every police station and office building is being reviewed to ensure it provides value for money and meets our requirements.

“Developments in technology mean that officers can complete paperwork away from the office and we are investigating sharing office space with partner agencies. An example of this can be seen in practice in Carlisle where the city centre police officers work effectively from a base they share with Carlisle City Council at the Civic Centre.

“Whatever happens, you will still have police officers visible in your community.”

Details of your existing Neighbourhood Policing Team can be found at www.cumbria.police/yourneighbourhood

These details will be updated on the 7th February when the new team structure is implemented.