Lib Dems Show Support For Police

10.18.00am GMT Fri 28th Mar 2008

Sally (centre)with Cllr Tony Allen from Bovey Tracey (right) and Cllr John Nutley (left)from Ashburton (both neighbourhood watch co-ordinators)

Sally Morgan, Liberal Democrat PPC for Central Devon, visited the Communications Centre at the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary HQ at Middlemoor to learn about Police Communications across our area. Sandra Brooks, the force's Performance and Planning Manager contacted Cllr Morgan after reading about her night-shift with the police before Christmas.

Sally was accompanied by Cllr Tony Allen from Bovey Tracey, Cllr John Nutley from Ashburton (both neighbourhood watch co-ordinators) and Cllr David Nation from Crediton. (see picture)

"I'd like to thank Sandra and her colleagues for showing us around. It was a very interesting evening and I felt that I gained a real insight into the background workings of the police in Devon and Cornwall. We were able to see how calls were handled and how operators were able to track officers and vehicles on the ground. Nationally the police deal with around one million accidental calls from mobiles a year - this figure was around 13 million before phone manufacturers created a keypad locking system! Many calls are made by young children playing with the phone and dialling 999 by mistake. That happened three times while we were there but the staff dealt with them professionally and patiently.

The experience helped to reinforce my belief in the Liberal Democrat stance against expensive ID Cards - that money could be better used by investing in people. What the Police really need are more resources and that includes more personnel and being able to make best use of up to date technology to deploy existing officers as effectively as possible. I was extremely impressed by what I saw and by the professionalism of our Police Service here in Devon."