Backing court fight

It therefore comes as a surprise that the courts in Dewsbury are to be closed and police officers who are called to give evidence at trials will now have to travel to Huddersfield. On any given day, how many police officers will be travelling to the courts in Huddersfield with a return journey time of at least an hour?

Defendants living in north Kirklees will find it difficult to reach Huddersfield as public transport links are poor.

This will no doubt lead to an increased number of defendants failing to attend the court and one assumes a consequent increase in the number of postponements. Such postponements are not unusual and trials can be cancelled or delayed at the last minute.

We can easily see many police hours are going to be lost. Instead of catching offenders, officers will be making repeat journeys, commuting to and from Cleckheaton and all points north of Huddersfield. One has to assume they will be commuting in their police cars. Officers will not only be tying up that valuable resource but also increasing the carbon footprint of the police force and of the courts.

My understanding is that the Government requires organisations, including public bodies, to reduce their carbon footprint. This includes that of ‘customers’ as well as employees of the organisation. In this instance for customers read anyone having business in the courts.

So all of the lawyers, the witnesses, the police officers and whoever else will now have to make their way not just from Dewsbury but from Scholes, from Birkenshaw, Gomersal, Cleckheaton and from elsewhere to make their appearance in the Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court.

Making cuts is different from raising efficiency. It is clear some cuts will simply redirect costs to another area. Sometimes that will be to another public purse and sometimes to individual members of the community or in this case to both.

GRAEME SUNDERLAND

Brookfield View

CLECKHEATON