Interactive Map Helps Dorset Communities Connect With Police
Communities in Dorset can now find their nearest police station front desk or community contact point with the help an interactive map.
It comes as part of Dorset Police’s drive to improve contact between members of the public and officers.
Police station front desks allow members of the public to have access to walk-in services where they can speak to trained staff who can help with crime reporting, crime prevention advice and help with accessing victim services.
The interactive map which can be found at Dorset Police Contact Points - Dorset Multisite allows users to find a police station or community contact point near them and click to find the address, the opening hours and information about crimes and priorities in the area.
Police station front desks have opened in Sherborne, Gillingham, Blandford, Bridport, Weymouth, Lyme Regis and Swanage.
Contact Points are drop-in events scheduled across the whole of the county and Dorset Police have delivered 72 of them in Dorset, including in Shaftesbury, Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Swanage, Verwood, Ferndown and across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as well as many other locations.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “It is vital that the public feel connected to the people who serve them, and this is just one of the measures being taken to ensure my Police and Crime Plan pledge to make policing more ‘visible and connected’ in Dorset is upheld.
“Along with 72 Community Contact Points throughout the county where people can speak directly to an officer from their Neighbourhood Policing team and an additional 174 new officers joining the Force under the national Police Uplift, the opening of front desks in Dorset is integral to our communities feeling safer.
“I know how vital it is for the people of Dorset that a police presence is physically seen and felt, and I want to continue to build that trust and confidence between the Force and the public through initiatives like this.
“I would urge people to use these offices to report incidents or provide information. They are places where you can speak face-to-face with the police and get that important engagement, I know so many people have asked for.”
A full list of Dorset Police stations open to the public can also be found at Find a police station | Dorset Police
The project follows a pilot programme in 2022 in which Dorset police used a police van as a mobile office, allowing officers to provide a physical point of contact in areas without a police station.
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