Police confirm plans to dispose of North Glasgow station

Glasgow Times

3 days ago

Police Scotland confirmed plans to dispose of its Saracen office in Possilpark.
The Barloch Street station has not been operational for more than five years, with local community officers and response officers deployed from nearby Maryhill.
Residents are being reassured that there will be no change in how incidents are responded to or in the level of service provided to the community.
Maryhill police station's front counter is open from 7am to midday Monday to Sunday.
Saracen police station was built in 1974 and was designed to meet the needs of policing at the time.
According to the force, the building no longer meets the demands or requirements of modern policing.
It is also said to not be sufficiently flexible to adapt for how policing may be delivered in the future.
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The station is in 'poor condition' and would require 'considerable' investment to meet health and safety standards.
Area Commander, Chief Inspector Declan Todd explained the move is not a 'withdrawal from the community' but is a step forward in plans to modernise and invest in the police estate.
CI Todd said: 'Response officers and community officers covering Saracen and the surrounding areas are already based in Maryhill, meaning there will be no change in how incidents are responded to or in the level of service provided to the community.
'Officers will continue to maintain a visible presence and deliver a high-quality service. In the past, having multiple stations in close proximity was beneficial due to the lack of modern technology.
'Today, officers are fully mobile, equipped with advanced technology, including fleet and mobile devices, allowing them to patrol and respond effectively without relying on a fixed location.
'Our officers spend the majority of their shift out in the community. Saracen and Maryhill are less than three miles apart.
'Maintaining buildings so close together is not necessary or financially sustainable. By merging resources, we can ensure our focus remains on delivering frontline policing and enhancing community safety, rather than retaining underutilised buildings.
'The disposal of Saracen police station is a key part of our ongoing work to improve the police estate.
"Outlined in the Estates Masterplan, the West has been identified as a priority area for transformation.
'Disposing of a building that is no longer fit for purpose does not mean a withdrawal from the community, it is a step forward in our plans to modernise and invest in the police estate to meet the needs of policing now and in the future.'
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For non-emergencies and general enquiries, people are urged to contact 101, and 999 in the event of an emergency.
Those who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or cannot communicate via speech are urged to use the text relay service on 18001101.
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact Police Scotland via 999 BSL. In non-emergencies, BSL users can access Contact Scotland BSL.