Mobile police stations face challenges with reporting crimes in Dorset
Councillors express concerns over gaps in crime reporting
Mobile police stations in Dorset, introduced as community contact points, are falling short of their crime reporting targets, councillors have been told.
While the initiative has seen hundreds of public interactions, it has resulted in very few actual crime reports.
The contact points were launched to address the closure of front desks at many police stations, but Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has acknowledged the need for better publicity and potentially different locations in some areas.
Speaking at the December Dorset Police and Crime Panel, Verwood councillor Simon Gibson highlighted concerns over a possible gap in crime reporting, with some residents reluctant to use the mobile contact points.
Gibson explained that when a police front desk was re-opened in Verwood, it saw limited footfall. However, relocating the community contact point to a Morrison’s supermarket resulted in significantly higher visitor numbers.
"inadequate promotion"
“The community contact point at Morrison’s definitely gets more footfall than the police station front desk,” Gibson said. He argued that inadequate promotion of the re-opening of the desk had left many unaware of the change, contributing to low engagement during its short reopening.
The councillor pointed out that despite over 400 recorded contacts at community stations this year, only 15 crimes were reported, raising concerns about their effectiveness for crime reporting.
“I need to be reassured there isn’t a gap in reporting,” Gibson said, adding that while progress is being made, there remains a place for traditional front desks in policing, even if they are not always open.
Sidwick agreed that gaps remain but suggested improvements could be made with increased awareness of mobile services and a gradual shift towards online and phone reporting.
Councillor Gibson also called on Dorset police to explore partnerships with town and parish councils to identify alternative locations for reporting, potentially using council premises.
The meeting also discussed the re-opening of Lyme Regis police station front desk during the summer, which saw minimal public engagement, with just 15 visits recorded in July.
Sidwick noted that despite efforts to highlight the re-opening, “a big deal” had been made, but the desk received little use, with many visitors inquiring about parking rather than police matters.
“Unfortunately, that makes front desks unviable,” Sidwick said.