A FORMER Petersfield bobby has slammed proposals to switch the town's response officers from Whitehill to Alton as a "retrograde step". The potential plans were revealed by Hampshire Constabulary this week, with town councillors also aghast at plans which could see the town's thin police coverage stretched further. News of the second annual decrease in crime figures across East Hampshire were tempered by the plans, which could increase response times and lead to an increase in crime. Former police constable Dave Williams, whose beat included Petersfield for 20 years, said: "It was difficult enough when I left the force in 2005. We were based at Whitehill and only had minimal coverage of Petersfield, which didn't seem a good idea to me. "It was virtually half cover then, and the thinking was to remove a block of manpower, placing policemen in the main cities like Winchester and Portsmouth. "They thought we didn't need the cover in rural areas, but I don't agree with that. Weekends can get quite busy in Petersfield and Whitehill, and you get further away with response times. "There was a permanent policeman in Petersfield when I left, who was there most of the time. At least someone was there. "When was the last time you saw a policeman in Petersfield? You might see a police community support officer if you're lucky, but they are just not on the street anymore to nip things in the bud." "These proposals are a retrograde step," he continued. "They are probably financially based, but to me it's the wrong thing to do, as they are leaving people in rural areas out on a limb completely. "There used to be a response time of 20 minutes – what's that like now?" Petersfield town councillors have also spoken of their "horror" at the potential of a "diabolical liberty". Chris Jenner said: "We've just seen a rise in the council tax precept for Hampshire Police Authority and I am absolutely horrified. "Police should be visible and a deterrent. Policing and justice should be conducted locally, and Petersfield has no police on duty at all, and all the oiks know this. "When they moved to Whitehill [in 2004], they said that would be the end of it and that residents would receive a better service. Now they could be moved to Alton, and we will probably see a worse service than we did before, as they are moving further away. "I'm quite happy to see them move from Whitehill, but that should be back to Petersfield, not further away." Mary Vincent added: "I think it's disgraceful. They apparently made it sustainable moving to Whitehill, and now they are moving all the way to Alton. "Ok, crime is down, but I think it's a diabolical liberty, as we won't have a police station between Alton and Havant. "We used to have a proper police station in Petersfield with a chief superintendent, CID and traffic units, a dog handler, and police on the street. Now the town has doubled in size since the 1960s and we've lost everything." East Hampshire's district commander, Chief Inspector Phil Kedge, spoke of a "review of services" following continued decreases in crime levels. Yet he also heeded that crime could still be on the up, while promising better response times. "The end of the year has also provided us with an opportunity to review our policing structure to ensure that we continue to provide the highest levels of service. "As such, this year we are examining the possibility of the response teams being relocated from Whitehill to Alton where there can be improved operational control and greater efficiency. Our partners are currently being informed of these proposals. "Officers will not respond from Alton but will be directed from the Whitehill and Petersfield stations. All officers will also be trained to a higher level of response driving and we will receive more higher performance response vehicles. Response times across the district in attending emergency calls will improve as a result and the three areas of Alton, Whitehill and Petersfield will retain their dedicated safer neighbourhood teams of local officers and police community support officers. "It is my aim to achieve a further two per cent reduction in crime for this coming year, however, rises may be experienced," he said.
