THE police enquiry front office at Okehampton, for people to walk in and report crimes, is almost certain to close in a move to save money. Devon and Cornwall Police announced in January that police enquiry offices were among four departments under review. Under new plans, eleven public enquiry offices, which are open to the public to walk in to report crime or discuss issues, are to be axed, leaving just ten. The Okehampton office is extremely likely to close, as will Falmouth, Penzance, Launceston, Bude, Liskeard, Totnes, Exmouth, Newton Abbot, Honiton and Tiverton. The plan identified is one of a series of options put forward by Devon and Cornwall's Chief Officer Group, and is subject to full consultation, with a definitive decision expected in July. While the number of public enquiry offices immediately accessible to the public will be reduced, the number of operational police stations is not changing and police officers and staff will still work from the stations affected by the public enquiry office review. Six day a week services will remain in Plymouth Charles Cross, Torquay and Exeter, while offices at Plymouth Crownhill, Barnstaple, Camborne, Truro, Bodmin and St Austell will remain open on weekdays, while the Newquay office will only open in the summer. West Devon police inspector Andy Oliver was not surprised by the announcement. He said: 'It is not unexpected. With the low numbers of people who use the office and the technical changes with so much done online now, it was inevitable. The very few numbers of people who use the office can't justify the staffing and cost of keeping it open. 'We will take the opportunity to target surgeries with the public, either on a regular basis as we do now, or on specific issues. These surgeries often draw more people out and prove very effective. 'We get very few people come in to the Okehampton enquiry office. We had a television crew come in once the story went public, they waited for three quarters of an hour and nobody came in. 'When it comes down to it, we have got to find savings. I would much rather provide better services for the public, targeting where and when we speak to them. I am confident the closure won't affect the service people get and will give us the opportunity to target talking to the public through our surgeries.' Exact details of opening hours of the offices staying open and staffing are still to be confirmed, though the move is expected to save the force around £760,000 a year. The overall number of full time equivalent police enquiry officer posts will be reduced from 61 to 34 as part of the plan. The announcement follow a spate of closures in 2011, when offices were reduced from 55 to 21 including?Tavistock. Assistant chief constable for Devon and Cornwall Police Paul Netherton said: 'In the current financial climate the force needs to make challenging decisions around how we best use our resources to benefit our communities. 'We are required to make difficult decisions in order to maintain visibility and maintain front line policing whenever possible. The force has carried out a review of how the public contact police in Devon and Cornwall and it has shown that the amount of people physically calling at a police station continues to diminish. 'In even our busiest stations this can be as low as five to six people an hour at peak times and for quieter stations there can be no personal callers at all for periods of time. As a result, we will now formally consult with staff unions regarding how we use public enquiry offices to get the best value from the resources that we have. 'The force currently receives around one million contacts a year from the public via 999, 101 and contact with the force enquiry centre and force website. This number far outweighs the amount of people actually attending a police station. 'With the development of online communication and further investment in technology, it is only likely to reduce further. 'Maintaining a visible presence in our communities remains a critical factor and we will do everything possible to target resources and achieve this. It is hoped this review will further allow us to increase visibility away from traditional police sites. 'Innovation is key and having a more mobile police presence means a better, more efficient and visible police service. We are committed to maintaining community based services and working with partner agencies to do this in the most efficient way possible.' • What do you think of the office closure? Could it affect the number of crimes being reported in Okehampton? Contact us with your views via [email protected]">[email protected]