Leighton Buzzard community officers make the move to new base at Bossard House

The Leighton Buzzard Community Police Team has completed its move into the new base at Bossard House.

The new community police base in West Street also serves as a space for response officers based in Dunstable, and aims to bring policing closer to the community it serves.

But people will still need to visit Dunstable or Luton police stations for some reasons – including making enquiries or using online reporting tools.

Bedfordshire Police hosted the Leighton Linslade mayor, the town clerk, Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye and South West Bedfordshire MP Andrew Selous at Bossard House this week to see the new base.

Chief Inspector Jim Goldsmith said: “The Leighton Buzzard Community policing team have now fully moved into Bossard House and will allow officers who are patrolling in the area to use this location instead of having to return to Dunstable or Luton for admin purposes.”

He added: “Members of the public will still need to attend our Dunstable or Luton police stations to make enquiries, or make use of our contact numbers or online reporting tools.”

However, Mr Akinbusoye pointed out in a social media post: “As part of discussions today, we will also look into having a front desk run by volunteers. It will not be possible to have police officers man the desk as we want them out on the streets doing patrols.”

Mr Selous said police IT and the use of space had been enhanced since his last visit.

He added: “Bossard House is now the home for the town’s community team and I look forward to the team being brought up to full establishment by the end of January. It was also good to hear that response times in Central Bedfordshire are now the same as in Luton and Bedford Borough. I want to see more special constables operating out of Bossard House and the establishment of a front desk, staffed by volunteers that the public can talk to.”

He continued to explain that upgrades to the telephone system would take place to ensure officers were more contactable and Central Bedfordshire Council housing officers would also be hosting surgeries at the base alongside police.

He added: “We are not where I want us to be in terms of police numbers in the town nor in terms of a 24/7 presence but we are definitely making progress which I expect to continue as more of the record 1,456 police officers in Bedfordshire finish their training and become more deployable. I also expect more of that training to happen in Leighton Buzzard and not just in Luton and Bedford.”

The new hub was announced in September 2022 as the previous location – a shared space with the fire service in Lake Street – had been criticised as being 'too small'.

Mr Selous, said at the time: "A larger building is absolutely needed. The current facilities are very, very cramped and not appropriate for the third largest town in Bedfordshire.

"Bossard House is a good central location, right in the middle of town, and I'm very grateful to Central Bedfordshire Council for making it available to the police.”

The grand opening was on September 30, 2022 – with officers slowly moving into the hub, starting with patrol officers followed by "frontline" police in February of this year.