The police custody suite in Rotherham is set to close under £18million plans by South Yorkshire Police to replace its ‘old and poorly maintained’ facilities.
The force will stop using four of its suites in Sheffield as well as the one in Rotherham, for holding people detained after arrest, after a year-long review of how they are used.
A new ‘police investigation centre’ capable of processing up to 18,000 suspects a year is to be built between Sheffield and Rotherham to replace them.
Senior bosses have decided to take action because of the poor state of the county’s custody suites
An inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in 2010 was ‘generally positive’ about the area’s custody provision but raised concerns about the ‘poor physical conditions in most suites’.
The forces said the move will save them around £1.1million a year.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: “We aim to renew our custody suites as part of an £18 million project to replace old and poorly maintained facilities that were highlighted by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.”
“The plan is to mothball four suites in Sheffield and Rotherham and create a new police investigation centre between the two hubs, capable of processing up to 18,000 suspects a year. The Doncaster custody suite will remain the same, but Barnsley’s will be replaced with a modern building on the same site.”
“Following a review of custody suites, it’s believed that the move will generate £1.1 million a year savings to pay back costs, meaning that the scheme will be delivered at no extra expense to the taxpayer.”
Across the county there are 123 cell spaces in six custody suites.
The police stations attached to the earmarked custody suites will remain in use.
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