The local police have announced that they are merging Neighbourhood policing teams together. Our understanding that this will mean that financial savings can be made whilst retaining strong local police presence ‘on the beat’.

Bury currently has three neighbourhood policing Inspectors (currently we’re covered by one who covers Prestwich and Whitefield. In the future there will just be two, so ours will cover Prestwich, Whitefield and Radcliffe.

The teams will be renamed “integrated neighbourhood policing teams” because neighbourhood officers will work with CID and other partners. Inspector Mark Kenny (our current inspector) will lead the south team, comprising of Prestwich, Whitefield and Radcliffe. He will be joined by Detective Inspector Amber Waywell, from the volume crime team.

The integrated teams will parade from Whitefield police stations. Prestwich Police have posted on Twitter that they will no longer be based in Prestwich: “Morning Prestwich, due to the ever changing demands placed on your Policing Team under the current reforms it is with regret that from early next month we will no longer be based within your community but will be working out of Whitefield station, please feel free to email your concerns to any of the following email addresses Hub.N@gmp.police.uk”. They later added: “Following on from the tweets regarding us moving to Whitefield.. You will not lose your officers as we will still be covering our ‘patches'”

Chief Supt Caroline Ball, Bury’s most senior police officer, said: “These changes will mean that there will be a better service provided not only to our victims but also our communities who will continue to see our officers on the street patrolling their area and working to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.”

Your local Lib Dem councillors are glad that local policing strength can be maintained, even in these difficult times. We do think it is a real shame that Police will not be physically based in Prestwich – it has been great to have a Police station right in the heart of the village.

Let us know what you think, or if you have views that you would like us to pass onto the Police.

Tim