Newton Abbot police enquiry desk reopening after closing 8 years ago

Newton Abbot’s police station front desk will reopen to the public next week.

The enquiry desk will be available for the first time since closing in 2014 as part of cost-saving measures brought on by austerity.

It is one of six front desks reopening this year across Devon and Cornwall by police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez.

Earlier this month, Tiverton’s was the first to be restored, with Newton Abbot reopening on Monday (21 November) along with Truro and Penzance.

The station’s front desk will initially be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm, with hours increasing in the new year.

Staff on the desks will also be able to support the 101 contact centre when not dealing with people who walk in.

In a statement, Ms Hernandez said: "Communities hugely value their police stations, and we know that when people come into contact with officers and staff their confidence in policing improves, so I am delighted to have been able to invest public money back in these communities where it belongs.”

Speaking in May outside Newton Abbot police station to announce the project, the commissioner added that reopening front desks was about “being in the community and being part of the community.”

“I think for the people of Newton Abbot who, at the moment, if they want to speak to the police direct, will have to drive to Torquay or drive to Exeter as their nearest front desk.

“So, this is about showing that the police are on their side in Newton Abbot and they do want to be accessed via this station.”

Asked why they had been closed in the first place, before she was first elected to the role, Ms Hernandez said: “I’ve been trying to get some of these stations reopened for some years and it’s been really challenging because the priority has been to recruit police officers.

“But I’ll be really frank with you, we won’t have hundreds of people coming here [to Newton Abbot station] every day, but I’m happy if it’s just one person who needed that help that has been able to come here and get it.”

The cost of the additional openings is estimated to be around £186,000 in 2022/23, with Ms Hernandez and the force “exploring opportunities to reopen more front desks in the following financial years.”

Credit: Ollie Heptinstall, Local Democracy Reporter