Mr. Alan Todd:

Straight down the middle, I have been responsible for closing a range of police stations as assistant chief constable for the areas in which they were. It was done based on an effectiveness and efficiency argument. If I say it is an emotional response, it sounds pejorative, but I understand the confidence that people get from bricks and mortar. In every station we closed, we did a fine analysis over time of the members of the public who were using the police station. On some days, it was none at all and on a busy day, it was three or four. Things like that were generally not core functions and could easily be done on the phone, online or through some other way of offering that service. The public did not lose out on a service but on the comfort that comes from having a local police stations and the sense that there are many police in there to come to their aid if needed, which was never the case, but that is where the sense of security comes from.

I have been a decision-maker and have gone to the Northern Ireland Policing Board with recommendations to close and sell off a range of police stations across Northern Ireland based on very sound data. I think it is the right thing to do when faced with the challenges that face us as an organisation. Otherwise I would not have recommended it. I still understand the confidence local communities have from having them but I could not sit here today and put in front of anyone a business case to build more that would withstand scrutiny.