Shropshire Star comment: Making a new sort of connection
The publication of police names and telephone numbers is a step in the right direction by the West Mercia force.
In recent times, police have become increasingly disconnected from the communities they serve and the decision to make officers easier to contact is good news.
Having more bobbies on the beat is almost certainly the key desire of the vast majority of local residents.
They feel reassured by the presence of police officers who are both a deterrent to criminals and a presence that hints at security and safety.
The police say that putting the public in touch with officers will help give communities more support, while technology will help officers to be more available and visible on the street.
It is a move that will be seen as positive by many.
Full story:
The return to a greater amount of community policing is welcome.
And, as we move through the opening decades of the 21st century, there is a thoroughly modern element to the way in which that policing will be conducted.
Whether the new dial-a-bobby system works, or, more importantly, is an acceptable alternative to bobbies on the beat remains to be seen.
We will wait to see how much investment has been made in technology and whether or not officers are available in those parts of Shropshire that have poor mobile phone connectivity.
We must move with the times, of course, and in an era where people prefer to communicate electronically rather than face-to-face, such moves are inevitable.
Indeed, there may be benefits to many of the new system.
Officers’ productivity could increase as police spend more time working and less time between jobs.
The police have a tough job and are less well-resourced than once they were. They have to find new ways of innovating so that they can meet the challenges of police in a modern society.
Dial-a-bobby will have its critics and time alone will judge whether it is wise. Let us hope that the system serves the people it ought.
