Ballymoney and Ballycastle police enquiry offices to shut

Police have confirmed the enquiry offices at Ballymoney and Ballycastle PSNI stations are to shut from next month.

From April 3, they will no longer be open to the public for routine business.

Police say the changes reflects evolving digital footprint.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said: “People are choosing to contact us in a different way and we want to deliver what they want, in the way they have chosen while maintaining our frontline service.

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“Since the launch of our new website in February 2016 (up to 8 February 2017) more than 445,000 people have visited the site, with more than 1.5 million page views. More than 17,000 people have visited our online crime reporting page. Our social media following grew by 211,305 followers in 2016 and we regularly reach more than 2 million people per week with our social media posts.

“Digital access is what the public have chosen and, in this environment of changing public need and police resources, this is how we are designing for the future and providing best value for public money.

“Enquiry offices were conceived before the digital age however we appreciate that there are some services that require face to face interaction. When considering the changes to station enquiry opening hours we looked at demand and peak use to ensure the impact on the public is kept to a minimum.”

Last month Alderman John Finlay said such a move would be a “retrograde” step

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