Alliance Councillor Andrew Muir has raised concerns over plans to close Bangor Custody Suite from 1 December 2016.
Councillor Muir said: “The news that Bangor Custody Suite is to close from 1 December raises serious concerns about the best use of police resources in this Borough with genuine worries police officers will be taken from their essential duties protecting the community to escort detainees to Musgrave Street in Belfast.
“This has the potential to leave a major shortage of officers on the ground as they spend time travelling between Bangor and Belfast and potentially beyond, with Musgrave Street already experiencing high levels of demand at certain times.
“We have already lost Ards Custody Suite and while we are told closure of Bangor Custody Suite is a temporary measure, elected representatives and local solicitors are rightly concerned that if this proposal is not challenged it could lead to closures of local police stations. An important aspect of policing is visibility to maintain public confidence. We need this facility to remain open and police officers to be available to serve the community. We intend to follow the matter up at all relevant levels to ensure this short sighted decision is reviewed.”