NEW POLICE STATION

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 16

NEW POLICE STATION

The first police station to be built in Christchurch for seven years, is nearing com- | pletion at Hornby. The station will eventually; be manned by a senior-ser- 1 geant. a sergeant and 10 constables. When it is opened in; about six weeks, it will be manned by a senior-sergeant and six men. The new station, about half; a mile west of the railway line at Hornby, on the Main South road, will provide a 24-hour police service for the Hornby-Islington-Sockburn-Upper Riccarton area Population of 36.000 The population of these areas is about 36,000. The Islington, Hornby and Hei Hei areas in particular are expanding quickly, with more industries and homes. The new station will be under the control of the Christchurch Central Police Station. The station will have its own patrol car. linked to the central station by radio; telephone. The new station is a single-; storev brick building with aluminium low-pitched roof. The front has exterior asbestos wall panels. The building of about 1250 sq. ft., contains; a charge room, a watch of-, 1

lice, a sergeant’s room, an inquiries constables' room and kitchen-messroora. More Than £12,000 A three-bedroom. brick ! house, with tiled roof, at the back of the station will be I occupied by the senior-ser- ! geant. There will be two garbages on the property, but no ‘lock-up. The complete station will cost more than £12.000. At present, the area to be ; served by the station is looked after by two constables stationed at Islington and one at Upper Riccarton. With this strength, it is not possible to give a 24-hour police service locally, but the central police station provides night patrols of the area and attends to urgent calls. Criminal Investigation Branch work will still be provided from the central station when the Hornby station is opened. The Upper Riccarton station will probably still be manned when the Hornby one is opened, but it is likely that the Islington station will be closed and the constables cover the area from Hornby. Follows Pattern The station at Hornby, designed by the Ministry of Works, has been planned for at least six years. It follows the pattern of closing down one-man stations and cen-

tralised, larger stations providing 24-hour services in districts.

New Brighton has a sergeant and seven constables. Woolston a sergeant and four constables, Sydenham a sergeant and six constables, Addington a sergeant and seven constables and Papanui a senior-sergeant and 10 constables. All these stations have radio-telephone patrol cars, and can thus give an emergency service over a large area as well as service night and day, or from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. All the stations are backed by the equipment and men available at the centra) station. Population Move The opening of district police stations at strategic points follows the population move from the city central areas. The Sydenham police station has less work to deal with than it did 10 years ago: Papanui has more. It seems probable that the next district police station to be built will be in the Bur-wood-Shirley area, and that the Shirley and North Avon single-man stations may be then -closed. Another district station will soon be required in the rapidly-growing Bishopdale area.