CAMPAIGNERS have set up an online petition to keep police based in their town.
People were shocked last month when it was announced at an area two meeting that the police force based in Woodford Green will be relocated to Barkingside come September.
The news sparked the community into action, with Frank Cruder, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for Chelmsford and Derby Road, in South Woodford, getting 20 signatures for an online petition within 24 hours of it going live.
The petition is running parallel to one set up by Monkhams and Bridge ward councillors to save Woodford Police Station, where the police force is currently based.
The station, in High Road, Woodford Green, could be sold off to raise money for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Police (Met). The Met has failed to give reassurances over its future and the news that the police force will move has forced councillors to take action.
So far Cllrs Paul Canal, Linda Huggett and Jim O’Shea among others have so far collected 80 signatures.
Mr Cruder, 67, has also uploaded two videos to video streaming website Youtube.com which demonstrates what the police force have done for the area in their time here, set to James Bond songs ‘Nobody Does It Better’ and ‘You Only Live Twice’.
He said: “It would be an awful state of affairs to see them go. They would spend less time in the area and more time travelling to and fro when they could be dealing with crimes here.
“We want to reachthe 1,000 mark and then we will submit this to the borough commander, Sue Williams, and say ‘this is what residents are asking for’.”
The police would be ferried in by car or would have to take the bus to and from Barkingside Police Station each day.
Frank Cruder’s petition can be found at http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/keepourpolice.
The petition to prevent Woodford Police Station’s closure can be found at http://tinyurl.com/savewoodfordpolicestation.
The youtube videos can be found at http://www.youtube.com/chelmsfordderby.
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