Shut-out complaints over police stations
Campaigners are calling for opening hours at Black Country police stations to be extended to allow members of the public to report crimes more easily.
Campaigners are calling for opening hours at Black Country police stations to be extended to allow members of the public to report crimes more easily.
Tipton police station has now closed to the public.
Residents and councillors also say they are also unhappy at the part-time front desk in operation at Wednesbury. Tipton's £1.7 million police station in Lower Church Lane is now advertised as closed to the public. Its front desk was previously open on a part-time basis since being built two years ago.
Tipton Green ward councillor Ian Jones said people were frustrated by erratic opening hours and wanted to see their police station open to the public until at least 10pm.
"There have been issues with it previously and a front desk facility open throughout is something that we would like to have," he said.
"They have just reinstated Old Hill and I would support a similar trial for opening hours in Tipton.
"We have a lot to do with the police and I feel the public would benefit from a front desk facility so people can actually go into their police station and get a response."
Princes End's Councillor Beatrice Owen said: "They keep saying crime is going down, but that's because people can't get through to report it.
"What was the point in them putting a new police station in if nobody can use it?"
Wednesbury's Councillor Bill Archer said part-time operating hours at the town's police station were frustrating for residents, who would find an extension to opening hours at the front desk more reassuring.
West Midlands Police spokesman Steve Garey said the front office opening hours at both Tipton and Wednesbury were based on limited demand.
"These inquiry offices are regularly subject to review to ensure service delivery to the public.
"Should they not be open, the public can use a direct telephone link at both Tipton and Wednesbury to the operations centre at West Bromwich.
"There is no intention whatsoever to scale down the level of policing at Wednesbury or Tipton or of reducing the number of officers at those stations.
"What we do is allocate our resources to where they are most needed – towards tackling crime and making communities feel safer."
