ANYONE calling 999 for police in the Ruislip area will find help is closer at hand from this week.
An emergency response unit will now operate in the north of the borough for the first time in years, from Ruislip police station.
On Monday, two response vehicles and teams went on duty at the police station in The Oaks.
Previously, emergency response teams potentially had to travel from Hayes to get to calls in the north of the borough.
Hayes-based teams would start their shifts at the police station in Uxbridge Road, and had to return there to clock off, leading to potential delays at shift change when cars were at their farthest from the northern parts of the borough. The response team officers will patrol 24 hours a day to deal with the 999 calls.
Detective Chief Superintendant Steve Kershaw took over as Hillingdon Borough Commander in June. He hopes installing the response team at Ruislip police station will also mean anti-social behaviour in Ruislip and the surrounding areas will decrease.
He said: “It is a challenge to provide an effective policing service across all 42sq miles of Hillingdon, but my team are committed to continually looking at ways of improving our service delivery and visibility.
“I want to explore the use of Ruislip police station to improve the overall service provided to our residents. As the new borough commander I want to demonstrate that we can flex our resources quickly to meet the needs of our community.
“We hope that this deployment will have a degree of longevity. It is an initiative which we will trial for some months and will be constantly reviewed to assess its viability for the future.
“I welcome feedback from the public on this arrangement, and our service in general,” he said.
Councillor Douglas Mills, Hillingdon Council cabinet member for community safety, said: “Hillingdon Council is delighted that response teams will be able to operate from Ruislip police station.
“This not only provides reassurance to residents but comes at a time when crime in Hillingdon is falling.”
