Julian Knight MP has presented a petition to the House of Commons protesting the decision by David Jamieson, Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner, to close Solihull Police Station.
The petition was signed by hundreds of local residents, and follows a determined campaign by Julian and other West Midlands Conservative MPs against cuts to rural and suburban policing in the region.
In February five local MPs co-signed his letter urging Jamieson to use his precept-raising powers or deploy his financial reserves instead of seeking cost savings by closing police stations in Solihull and elsewhere.
Commenting, Julian Knight said:
“Crime is one of the issues most often raised with me by local residents, either in my surgeries or on the doorstep. I and many others are very concerned about the impact that closing Solihull police station will have on our community.
“It’s absurd that a growing town such as ours, which only a few years ago had two proper police stations, may soon have to make do with a ‘front desk’ – especially so soon after the Government delivered a £9.5 million funding boost for the West Midlands Police!
“Boroughs such as Solihull face distinct crime challenges from cities such as Birmingham, and a front-line base is a basic requirement for the sort of fast-responding, community-focused policing we need.”