Calderdale police station's public help desk one of five to shut for good

West Yorkshire Police has announced that the help desk at Todmorden Police Station, on Burnley Road, is one of five which will shut for good.

The move follows a review of how people contact the force and is part of a drive to give a “efficient and cost-effective service to the public”, they say.

“These are not decisions that we have taken lightly, but it is important that we are providing a cost-effective service to the public,” said Superintendent Mick Rutter said.

“This review has helped us understand how our help desks are used at different locations at different times of the day.

"The changes that are now being put in place will ensure that members of the public are still able to access help desks across our five districts at the locations that they most frequently use.”

The public help desk at Todmorden Police Station has been temporarily closed since January 2021 but that closure will now be made permanent.

Among the findings, the review found that the five help desks at the district headquarters account for 73 per cent of all contact via the help desks.

Contact at help desks from members of the public after 8pm equates to less than three per cent of the overall total demand.And contact through online services has risen significantly – from 86,000 per year when the current help desk model was introduced in 2017 to 280,000 per year in 2022.

The force will also reduce the opening hours at other sites. It says this will not affect the provision of 24/7 patrol and neighbourhood policing officers who will continue to be based and operate from locations across the county..

There will still be public help desks at the five district headquarters – including Halifax Police Station – as well as at Dewsbury Police Station, Stainbeck Police Station and Keighley Police Station.

“Our help desks are just one way that the public can interact with the police, and they are complemented by the 999 and 101 phone lines and our online contact options,” said Supt Rutter.