A police front desk, accessible to the public, is planned to reopen in Okehampton in June 2023, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has stated.

In an exclusive interview with the Times, Commissioner Hernandez stated that she was fighting to make this happen and is encouraging those in the town and its surrounding areas to lobby local councillors in the meantime to ensure these plans become a reality.

Her comments come following an update report, written by the Commissioner for discussion at a meeting of the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel last Fridayin Plymouth which outlines a provisional schedule, agreed with the Chief Constable, for the reopening of 12 police stations’ front desks throughout the Devon and Cornwall constabulary over the next three years.

These plans would bring an open desk back to the town for the first time since its closure on November 1 2014, which has since left members of the public having to travel as far as Exeter to visit a public enquiry desk.

Commissioner Hernandez told the Times: ‘I understand Okehampton Police Station is mainly used as a training centre and a meeting centre. I’m acutely aware that some people in the Okehampton community feel like they’ve been neglected by policing – we want to re-establish this connection with community by reopening their front desk and allowing people to go in to their local station and report a crime. We currently have challenges on phone lines and we want to make sure there’s no excuse for people to feel like police don’t care.’

The Commissioner’s update report confirms that seven police stations’ front desks are set to reopen in November of this year: Tiverton, Penzance, Newton Abbot, Falmouth, Bude, Truro and Newquay - the first four stations having been outlined in provisional plans announced in May of this year. Five other front desks, including Okehampton’s, are listed to reopen in the next three years as part of a phased process, which the Commissioner states she would like to see increased to 20 stations within these three years.

Tavistock is set to receive a new public desk at the same time Okehampton’s front desk is set to reopen, in June next year.

Commissioner Hernandez added: ‘It’s been a real fight to get them reopened. I’m forcing this. For now, Okehampton’s desk and the other four scheduled in the list remain a possibility rather than actuality. It would be great if people lobbied councillors in order to help push and finalise these plans. I have noted significantly less lobbying from residents in the town than in Tavistock and this will be essential in the fight to ensure desk reopens to the public. My focus right now is ensuring the seven reopenings planned for November are delivered successfully. From there, we can go through budget planning and finalise the reopening for Okehampton.

‘The biggest thing for me is that policing is by our community’s side – our stations should serve as accessible points in communities. We don’t want to continue with austerity times – we want to be accessible to public and be by their side. Our focus in Okehampton is police engagement. The town is a low crime area and we want to keep it down.’

The Commissioner further added that although the police station in Okehampton (situated on Exeter Road) currently does not have an open front desk, it is still open as normal for appointment or voluntary interviews and that the station (as do all others) has a phone in a blue box outside the building which is given priority when used to report crime.

Commenting on Commisioner Hernandez’s suggestion to expand the number of police front desks, Okehampton town councillor Christine Marsh said: ‘I’ll believe it when I see it. I’d be thrilled if it happens and it’s about time. The station is a huge building and it’s not being used.’

Plans would see each front office open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm, with staff recruitment to commence shortly.

The three remaining stations, Ivybridge and Illfracombe are planned to reopen in June 2024 and Exmouth in June 2025.