Police base at school boosts community links (From Stourbridge News)

Police base at school boosts community links

3:06pm Thursday 26th October 2006 in Local By Bev Holder

POLICE hope their new base at Wordsley's Brook School will help boost their links with the community.

PCs Steve Freer and Meena Hindu and PCSOs Jo Cooper and Colette Hughes will be operating out of the new office - now a purpose built building at the back of the car park at the George Street school.

Previously one of the first in the country to be located at a school - the office is not an operational police station for people to report crimes, but there is a post box for members of the public to leave messages about issues of concern when the station is not staffed.

Pc Freer said: "As we work out of Kingswinford Police Station, it's really a base for us to cover Wordsley, Audnam and Hawbush.

"It's been specially built so members of the public can pop in and see us here instead of having to trek to Kingswinford, Stourbridge or Brierley Hill."

Pc Hindu said: "It's brought us into the heart of the community, so it's hopefully going to make us more approachable."

The officers will be carrying out cycle and phone marking sessions in the future - as well as hosting daytime and evening drop-in surgeries over the coming months.