On Air The Afternoon Show Chris Quirk | 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Major police cuts confirmed

Two Island police stations are to close as the Isle of Man Constabulary begins life with a reduced budget.

Lord Street in Douglas and Port Erin will cease operations by September.

Neighbourhood policing in the south of the island will be based from Castletown.

Police ranks will also reduce by 11 per cent to around 210 - a fall back to levels last seen in the mid-1990s.

It means less detectives, road policing and senior officers.

The Financial Crime Unit will be overhauled and custody facilities will be centralised on a new site adjacent to Police Headquarters.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts says despite the cuts, he is confident crime levels on the Isle of Man will remain low:

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson is full of praise for the Chief Constable in redesigning the force into a sustainable model for the future with reduced monies available.

He says the Isle of Man Constabulary is somewhat unique in British policing as it will still respond to every offence reported to it.

However, some activities that are currently conducted on a face-to-face basis will be dealt with by telephone or increasingly on-line.

Mr Watterson says the stark warning is this is now the minimum level of service to meet commitments to public safety.

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