THE published opening times of Alton Police Station are currently being put on hold, as a shortage of civilian staff means that local police cannot promise that the station will be manned for all the given hours.
The departure of station enquiry officer Tony Lea last week, after more than 20 years of service has meant that the SEO team is one member short. This, coupled with other police employees taking annual leave, means that there will be some instances when the station will have to close early.
Acting Inspector Richard Blackford said: ÒWe cannot say exactly when the station will have to close early because the SEOs work in shifts. We will do our best to maximise the time that the station is open, and we will make sure that it is open for at least some of every weekday.
ÒThe shortage of staff does not apply to actual police officers however. Even when the station is closed, there will still be officers patrolling the streets 24 hours a day. We will not take officers off the streets to man the front desk, because we do not believe that this will best serve the public.Ó
Alton police are currently recruiting for the vacant position, and envisage that it will take approximately a month for the situation to get back to normal.
If people need to contact the local police when the station is shut, then they can do so by using the wall phone mounted next to the front door of the police station which is connected directly to the force control room, which will pass messages via radio to local officers.
Alternatively, members of the public can call the control room from home on 0845 045 45 45.