Staff move into new Broadland Police Station
Police officers and staff have moved into a new police station on the outskirts of Norwich.
The Broadland Police Station development marks the final project in a five-year modernization program designed to help the force become ‘future-proof’.
It is one of several projects undertaken as part of the Norfolk 2020 program which has invested in frontline, backup and investigative resources to help fight crime in the digital age.
Alongside its sister station in Swaffham, Broadland brings together specialized resources from the force’s Security and Investigation Command equipped with the technological skills and resources to tackle complex crime in the digital age.
It also provides improved facilities for frontline and neighborhood policing, street and armed police teams, with teams moving from Acle and Sprowston along with Crime Scene Investigators.
Chief Constable Paul Sanford said: “Teams have been moving to the new station since early October and all teams will be there in early December.
“We wanted to bring specialized resources together under one roof to focus our efforts on areas of policing that are less visible to the public but critical to protecting the public and dealing with high-risk offenders.
“Our detectives are now investigating more rape and sex offenses than any other crime, with our Public Protection Unit teams working tirelessly to treat a range of high-risk offenders in the community. It is only right that officers and staff who spend their working lives investigating the most difficult of child rape and sex offenses should be provided with a building fit for the purpose.
Mr Sanford added: “The new police station is part of a strategy that will reduce our overall property costs by allowing us to move out of expensive rented buildings and share facilities with partners such as Norfolk Fire and Rescue Services. These savings will help counteract the significant inflationary cost pressures facing the police force.
“Providing the best service to the public is at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make. Buildings may change, but our commitment to effective local policing has not and will not.”
To mark the move to the new Broadland Police Station, local primary school children were asked to draw their vision of the police force of the future. The winning entry was drawn by seven-year-old Subikshan Saravana Kumar from Hillside Academy. His drawing is now on display in the entrance of the new station, along with runners-up Elianna Marie De Sousa of White House Farm Primary and Jessica Barnes of Lingwood Primary Academy.
The entries were saved in a time capsule that Subik placed in the ground yesterday, Monday 24 October, which will open on the same day 50 years from now.
Police and Detective Inspector Giles Orpen-Smellie presented Subik with a certificate, which was then shown around the new station with his parents, where he met police dogs Flo and Lottie, while also learning about the use of drones and his fingerprints from investigators the criminal police took .
Giles Orpen-Smellie said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Subik and his parents to our new station. Subik’s entry was a clear winner and showed what policing could look like in the future.
“One of the priorities of my policing, crime and community safety plan is to ensure Norfolk Constabulary is sustainable. Broadland Gate will future-proof the delivery of policing services for a long time to come, equipping our workforce with modern and innovative tools and technology to serve the people of Norfolk effectively and efficiently.
“The new station is also an important step towards what I call ‘green policing’. All materials used were sourced and delivered to site in a way that minimized CO2 emissions. The building will be operated with a wide range of green features in the future. Safeguarding the future is not just about maintaining the Constabulary policing services, but also about playing our part in the broader green agenda.
