THE portfolio holder for public protection, councillor Joel Charles (Cons) has responded to the decision to close the front counter at Harlow police station:

Councillor Charles said: “Police officers have worked hard to provide a more visible presence to respond to anti-social behaviour and crime hotspots in our town.

Their efforts run the risk of being undermined by the closure of the front counter at the town centre police station. 

This is because vulnerable people and those who do not have access to digital communication rely on face-to-face interaction more than others. The potential unintended consequence of the closure of the front counter may be that certain groups of residents feel less confident about seeking help.

“The drive to keep the police accessible is an important one. I am concerned about the message this decision sends out, despite real progress being made locally to disrupt criminal activity. The fact that police station front counters in Grays and Southend are remaining open will inevitably lead to questions about the decision-making process. I plan to scrutinise what led to resource being allocated to other parts of the county to maintain the existing level of service, whilst our town is set to miss out.

“I have written formally to the Chief Constable about the decision. If it is possible to open up a discussion about maintaining the front counter at this stage, then I am more than willing to participate to try and find a better way forward. There needs to be a rethink to ensure Harlow residents get the same access to police station services as other parts of the county will be able to in the future.”