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Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets?

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2013-04-28 Daily Mail.jpg

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THESE days, it's more commonly known as Doctor Who's time-travelling spaceship, the Tardis.

But the blue police box could be set for a return to Britain's streets.

An influential think-tank has called for police forces to bring back the boxes, which were phased out in the 1960s.

In a major report, Policy Exchange called for the return of the blue boxes to save money and improve the service to the public.

It concludes that police stations, though popular with the public, are 'out of date' and should be replaced by both boxes and counters in shopping centres, post offices and elsewhere on the high street. The report endorses the 'possible introduction of a modern version of the Tardis police box, made famous by Doctor Who'. It adds: 'These would be technologically-enabled police contact points, featuring two-way audio-visual technology so the public could communicate directly with police.'

The boxes were commonplace from the 1920s to the 1960s, before the introduction of police radios. Beat officers would be based around a box, which contained a phone. A light on top of the box would flash to indicate to the officer they should contact the station.

Modern versions would allow the public to report crime and anti-social behaviour, get information and even give witness statements, the report said.

Crucially, they would allow the members of the public to contact officers even when their local police station had closed.

Forces across England and Wales have closed hundreds of counters at stations in recent years in an effort to save millions of pounds.

The boxes could operate as a base for neighbourhood beat officers, the report said. Its author, Professor Martin Innes, director of the Police Science Institute at Cardiff University, added: 'There has been uproar whenever chief constables or PCCs suggest they might want to close some stations.

'However the truth is most crime is reported by phone, many stations are getting old and increasingly expensive to maintain and are often located in the wrong places, away from key population centres. 'It might be more productive to engage local people in conversations about replacing out-dated stations with more local offices. The report said that use of police station front counters was in decline. In London some have fewer than seven visitors a day. The number of people reporting crimes at counters has fallen by more than 100,000 in six years. About one in five of those who visit a station is asking about lost property, while one in ten are asking for information such as directions. Last year it was revealed chief constables will close 264 public counters over the next three years. The Metropolitan Police and other forces have announced they will put counters in supermarkets and elsewhere to try and stay in touch with the public.

The report said saving money on buildings is better than cutting the number of officers available. Of the 'Tardis' boxes, it adds: 'They could be used to report crime, provide witness statements, discuss concerns and priorities and access information.'


Caption: Police box: Phased out in 1960s

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  • APA 6th ed.: Doyle, Jack (2013-04-28). Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets?. Daily Mail .
  • MLA 7th ed.: Doyle, Jack. "Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets?." Daily Mail [add city] 2013-04-28. Print.
  • Chicago 15th ed.: Doyle, Jack. "Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets?." Daily Mail, edition, sec., 2013-04-28
  • Turabian: Doyle, Jack. "Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets?." Daily Mail, 2013-04-28, section, edition.
  • Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Will_the_police_%27Tardis%27_return_to_our_streets%3F | work=Daily Mail | pages= | date=2013-04-28 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=26 April 2024 }}</ref>
  • Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Will the police 'Tardis' return to our streets? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Will_the_police_%27Tardis%27_return_to_our_streets%3F | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=26 April 2024}}</ref>


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