Hampshire Constabulary new HQ
Hampshire Constabularys new £30 million headquarters will open today.
Hampshire Constabularys new £30 million headquarters will open today.
The new state-of-the-art building was funded by Hampshire Police Authority and will be home to a number of policing teams including the Intelligence Unit, specialist teams, response officers and administration functions. A number of partner agencies, such as the probation service, will also be housed in the same Southampton building which will enable more efficient and effective working.
The eight-storey building also includes Hampshires largest custody centre, with 36 cells. The custody centre began operating just over a week ago and is already taking in those arrested.
Due to the current economic climate, Hampshires new station is likely to be one of the last major new-builds for some time and the constabulary said that there was a very different economic climate when work was started.
The headquarters took 18 months to build and provides modern, purpose-built facilities which will lead to the centralisation of many policing services under one roof for the first time, bringing greater operational efficiencies.
Hampshire Police Authority Chair Jacqui Rayment said: I am extremely proud of the new state of the art Southampton Police Station which represents a major investment in the city by the police authority, meeting the needs of the public by providing modern and efficient facilities for police services in Southampton and the surrounding area.
The new building will increase police efficiency and reduce costs by combining a wider range of operations in one location. The building also provides a very impressive number of green credentials.
Chief Superintendant Matthew Greening, Southampton Police Commander, said: “It`s fantastic for the city that we now have a professional, modern and efficient police station.
As fantastic as the new station is, its important to remember that it`s just a building and it`s the people who work in it and the officers and staff who go out on patrol from it who make the real difference. I am delighted we have this new station, not just for us but for the city as a whole.”