Retired police officer starts petition to build cells in Salisbury

Jim Davey, who served with Wiltshire Police for 26 years, took the decision to start a petition following the chief constable’s announcement to halt plans for a custody unit in the city.

When Salisbury Police Station in Wilton Road closed in June, chief constable Patrick Geenty promised new facilities would be built in the city.

However earlier this week he warned Salisbury was now unlikely to ever have its own again, citing financial challenges as the cause.

Mr Davey, 72, said: “It’s ludicrous. I can’t understand it. Why on earth would they close the police station without having custody facilities in place?

“They promised we would have a replacement here in the city and they have gone back on it.

“When you have a judge going public on something like this, it must be really wrong.

“We have written to John Glen and asked him to speak with Keith Vaz and put it before the Home Office Select Committee.”

The petition, which can be found on the following link: change.org, states: “Persons arrested in Salisbury since June have to be transported 30 miles to the custody suite at Melksham. The people of Salisbury and the surrounding areas deserve more and should support this petition.”

Set up just 48 hours ago, it already has 70 signatures.

Among those who are supporting the cause are John Todd from Amesbury who says: “As a taxpayer I like to think my money is used wisely. Paying a police percentage on my council tax gives me a public voice on police matters. Please sort out this custody issue. It simply is not sense to transport persons to Melksham.”

And Tim Richards who says “the people of South Wiltshire deserve better than to be abandoned by the Police and Crime Commissioner and chief officers. Salisbury is the largest centre of population in Wiltshire County and is being treated as if we do not matter. I believe the force is being made ready for merger and of course South Wiltshire will not be an important entity within that equation.”