Effective policing needs the right infrastructure

Yeovil Police Station is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment. Despite this significant public investment, it is due to reopen without a custody suite.

The refurbishment has been described as delivering "fit for purpose" policing facilities. We disagree.

A police station serving a town the size of Yeovil and the wider South Somerset area cannot be considered truly fit for purpose if officers are required to leave the area every time they arrest a suspect in order to transport and process detainees elsewhere.

Every time officers leave the area to transport and process detainees, they are unavailable to respond to emergencies, patrol our streets, tackle anti-social behaviour and provide the visible policing that helps deter crime and keep our communities safe.

The impact extends beyond the hours spent transporting detainees. Removing officers from the area inevitably reduces policing capacity while they are away. It also raises legitimate questions about whether the absence of local custody facilities affects proactive policing and weakens the deterrent that visible, effective policing provides. Criminals are more likely to be deterred when they believe police have the resources and infrastructure to respond quickly and decisively.

With crime, anti-social behaviour and public confidence in policing continuing to be major concerns across Yeovil and South Somerset, we believe this is the wrong decision. Once the refurbishment is complete, the opportunity to provide local custody facilities may be lost for many years.

We, the undersigned, call upon the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset and the Chief Constable to:

- Incorporate a custody suite into the current refurbishment of Yeovil Police Station.

- Ensure this significant public investment delivers a police station that is genuinely fit for purpose and equipped to support effective policing across Yeovil and South Somerset for decades to come.

This petition is not a criticism of our police officers. It is a call to provide them with the facilities they need to maximise their time policing our communities, strengthen visible policing and help deliver a safer Yeovil and South Somerset.

Please sign this petition if you believe Yeovil deserves a police station that is genuinely fit for purpose.