Uppingham police officers have a new base in the town hall
A new police beat office has opened, improving access for residents facing crime issues.
Police and council representatives were joined by Rutland dignitaries for the official ‘ribbon-cutting’ - which saw a length of police tape stretched across the door being snipped.
Mayor of Uppingham Liz Clarke and deputy mayor David Ainslie welcomed Leicestershire and Rutland police and crime commissioner Rupert Matthews, newly appointed chief constable Rob Nixon, the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness, and the High Sheriff of Rutland Geoff Thompson.
Commissioner Matthews said: “I’m delighted to open the new police beat office which is in Uppingham Town Hall right by the front door, and very accessible to the public. It’s a good sized room and has all the facilities that the police need to keep the people of Uppingham safe.
“Uppingham Town Council has been behind this scheme right from the start. When I became police and crime commissioner 18 months ago, I visited Uppingham and saw the tiny, almost broom cupboard sized-room our officers were trying to exist in.
“I approached the council and asked if they had an alternative room that we could use and they were using the front room here for storage and so on.
“I looked at it and thought this would be perfect, and I have to say Uppingham Town Council has been really cooperative, which means that this lovely ground-floor room with a bay window that looks out onto the High Street is from today being used as a police beat office.
“Not only does it provide better working conditions for our officers, but a much more accessible and pleasant room for the public.”
Mayor of Uppingham, Liz Clarke added: “We are delighted to officially open this new Beat Office for the police here at Uppingham Town Hall as the former room never seemed very fitting compared to the importance of the work the police officers do here. I’m so pleased that we now have this unity and closeness that I hope will please the people of Uppingham, and a room that was once empty quite a lot of the time will now be used all of the time.”
Newly appointed Chief Constable, Rob Nixon in his first official role, said: “For me, this is actually quite a seminal moment because policing at its best is done with communities in mind, and what I know about Uppingham is there is a real community spirit here.
“The policing team here do an amazing job often in difficult circumstances, but now they can do that in a setting where the public are comfortable to come and engage.”
The new beat office will offer Uppingham residents the chance to make an appointment to speak with members of the police in a quiet and secure place.
The office will be open by appointment only, and not as a walk-in facility.
