Hove Police Station is at risk of closure, according to a Brighton councillor.
Warren Morgan, one of the Labour councillors for East Brighton and the party’s spokesman on community safety on Brighton and Hove City Council, spoke of his concern this week.
He said that the threat to Hove Police Station came to light when he questioned Sussex Police Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, at a recent meeting of the Community Safety Forum.
Councillor Morgan said that it was then confirmed by Chief Superintendent Bartlett, the police commander for Brighton and Hove, that the station was now under threat of closure.
Councillor Morgan’s concern was prompted by the decision to close the Road Policing Unit at Hove.
Traffic officers from Haywards Heath will police the roads of Brighton and Hove from April.
Sussex Police said yesterday that it was reviewing the future of all 36 of its police stations but had made no decisions at this stage.
It said that no police stations would close unless it was satisfied that the community would still be served properly.
The concern comes as the force is trying to make cuts of £50 million by 2015.
Hove Labour councillor Melanie Davis submitted an e-petition on Wednesday (19 January) in reaction to the possible closure.
It is entitled: “Hove and Portslade must have a police station.”
The petition is due to appear soon on the council’s website at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/e-petitions.
Accessible
Councillor Morgan, said: “I am very concerned to learn, in response to my question on the future of Holland Road police station, that it is in jeopardy.
“It is important that all residents of Brighton and Hove have a local, accessible and responsive police presence, and we will be campaigning vigorously against this and other Conservative government cuts to local policing.
“If it is a question of money, why is the Conservative government wasting £140 million on scrapping local police authorities and replacing them with elected police commissioners?”
Councillor Davis, who represents Goldsmid ward, which includes the police station, said: “Hove must have its own police station.
