Fears that residents might not want to use mobile police stations has been raised by a local councillor.
Conservative, Simon Gibson told the December Dorset Police and Crime Panel he feared there remained “a gap” with people reluctant to report crimes online, over the phone or at community contact points.
The meeting heard that only 15 crimes had been reported at the points this year, despite more than 400 recorded public contacts.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick acknowledged that better publicity and alternative locations might be needed in some locations.
The mobile police stations, or community contact points, were rolled out to compensate for the closure of front desks at many police stations.
Gibson said the point at Morrison’s supermarket in Verwood “definitely gets more footfall than the police station front desk”.
“But the reopening of the desk was low-key,” he said.
“Most of my colleagues didn’t know it had reopened and certainly most of the public didn’t know and it didn’t reopen for very long.”
He said the low number of reported crimes “suggests that my fears that they’re good for community engagement, but bad for crime reporting remains.”
“I need to be reassured there isn’t a gap in reporting.”
Gibson said to him there was “always a place for police front desks even if they’re not continually open”.
Mr Sidwick said that could be improved by making people more aware of the mobile facilities and that there would be a gradual switch to more online and phone reporting.
Gibson said he hoped Dorset Police could look at working with town and parish councils to find suitable alternatives, possibly using council premises.
Mr Sidwick also said that “a big deal” had been made about reopening the police station front desk at Lyme Regis police station to the public in the summer.
He said, however, that in July it had only received 15 visits, 10 of which from visitors asking where they could find parking in the town.
“That, unfortunately makes front desks unviable,” he said.
