Now, perhaps more than ever, it is vital that information shared on social media is reliable, accurate and from a primary source. Even then, agencies are having to update and revise information due to the fast pace of change in the current situation. Despite regular posts on this page, emphasizing that our Local Policing Team officers from the North Sefton hub are based at Southport Police Station, several people persist in posting comments on social media along the lines of “There are no police in Southport”, “Southport police Station is closed”, “We need our Police Station back” etc.

So here is the definitive clarification, and an appeal for only the correct information being shared:

Southport Police Station is an operational police station. It is home to the North Sefton Local Policing Team, led by the Inspector of Local Policing, three sergeants and the Police Officers and Police Community Support & Traffic Officers (PCSO’s) who start and finish all their shifts at Southport Police Station. The North Sefton Policing Team covers the area from the border with Lancashire Constabulary at Banks, to Hightown and Lunt. Hub 1 cover the area of Crosby, Bootle, Maghull etc.

Each ward in the borough has its own dedicated Police Officers and PCSO’s, who your local Councillors will be aware of and be in contact with. Many local residents know their own dedicated officers very well. Some have been working in the same area, and based at Southport Police Station for the last 15 years, and continue to do so.

In addition to the Local Policing Team, Response and Resolution patrols are allocated to the Southport and Formby area 24 hours a day. Southport Police Station is utilised by Police Officers and PCSO’s on duty and on patrol in Southport across the whole 24 hour period, including those from specialist teams.

Changes to the opening hours of the Enquiry Office at Southport police Station (which is no longer open 24 hours) may have confused people over the use of Southport Police Station however, it is important local residents understand that the opening times of the Enquiry Office are not related to the shifts of local officers. There are more ways to report incidents to the police than ever, mobile phone, internet and social media etc and emergencies should always be reported by dialling 999.

Police Officers and PCSO’s do not wait in police stations to respond to calls. We respond from wherever we are. That means we could be anywhere across our patrol area when calls come in and this, along with the number and details of other incidents taking place will affect our response times.

This should clarify the situation regarding Southport Police Station once and for all, but watch out for more photos of our staff out and about on patrol across the area, continuing now, through the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Please support your local policing team by challenging people who continue to post inaccurate information, which is counter-productive to our mission of preventing crime, protecting people and pursing offenders. You can even link this post to those who try to tell you differently.

See you on the streets.

Thank you.