BY AILEEN MURPHY

The future of four police stations in Fermanagh hangs in the balance as a consultation period opens to seek the views of people in the County regarding Belcoo, Belleek, Newtownbutler and Kesh.

Following this consultation, the reality is that Fermanagh may be left with only three police stations to service the entire county, at Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, and Irvinestown.

And, Chief Inspector Alywin Barton has revealed that the bases at Enniskillen and Lisnaskea are currently too large to be sustained and a move to smaller premises may be on the cards.

The proposals will be open to debate at a number of public meetings over the coming weeks. The meetings are scheduled as follows, each starting at 8pm: Kesh Community Centre Monday 28 April; Carlton Hotel, Belleek, Tuesday 29 April; Belcoo Community Centre, Wednesday 30 April; and Newtownbutler, Thursday 1 May in the Community Centre.

A themed DPP meeting is also scheduled for the coming months which the public are also invited to attend.

Chief Inspector Barton addressed the fact many people will be angry to see their police station closing. He admitted: "People do have a certain attachment to their police station, but this is about the efficient and effective delivery of policing. It's very important we don't lose sight of the fact we are trying to make sure there is an equitable delivery of proper service to all the population."

Highlighting how changes to policing here could progress, the Chief Inspector continued: "We have been providing an alternative now for 18 months in the form of the Mobile Police Station, we have been providing this it right across the county. There are police stations here which members of the public probably haven't set foot in for two years, and yet the Mobile Police Station has already had 588 visitors, with 92 crimes reported to it.

"That's a real opportunity", he went on, " to have a facility deployed on the ground with relatively little impact on the taxpayers' money, to deliver a good quality equitable service, whereas the stations are buildings sitting there which are eating up taxpayers' money and, really the question has to be: what is the balance between the two facilities?"

However Mr Barton was adamant the decision about the future of stations in Fermanagh is more than simply a financial decision: "Managing resources concerns managing both estate and human resources," he explained. "We had 13,000 to 14,000 people (RUC) ten years ago, now we 7,500 people (PSNI) and by 2011 we should be sitting at 6,028. Now, if we were a business or any other branch of the public sector, we would have to look at exactly how many and what size of building we need to deliver a service to the public.

"The question has to be asked with regard sustainabilty, and I think that is the issue with regard Lisnaskea. The station there is a good facility, but it is probably significantly bigger than we require so, whilst I emphasise we are staying in Lisnaskea, we will have to take a careful look at exactly what type of building we need to deliver the service from so we can reduce the cost to the public purse in relation to the delivery of the service."

The Chief Inspector suggested that a move could be on the cards for Lisnaskea Police Station: "There is no point having excess space that is never going to be used. It's better to have an appropriately sized and equipped venue.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility that we will be able to rule off part of the Lisnaskea site, but, equally so our Estate Services may do an audit on the building and say this is not viable, it is much better to move to a different site in the town."

Similarly in Enniskillen, Chief Inspector Barton explained: "Enniskillen is a historic listed building that deserves re-investment, and significant funding is needed to sustain the future of the building, so we either have to find the substantial funding to remain on the site or to re-invest in a new location."

Turning to the Irvinestown, the final station likely to survive the cull in Fermanagh, the Chief Superintendent described the site as 'ideal'.

"Irvinestown is staying and it is fit for purpose. The reality is somewhere of a similar size to Irvinestown would meet our needs in Lisnaskea."

With the future looking bleak for many of Fermanagh's police bases, Chief Inspector Barton added: "These are proposals, and they will go to consultation with the public. This will then be documented and the proposals and reaction will go to the Police Board who will make the final decision."

However, the Chief Inspector explained he has no fears that he can deliver a service even if there are only three police stations left in the County.

"This is not the case of a police station closing and people in the village not seeing a police officer for the next six months. Similarly, it will not be a case of police descending on the place for the next six months to try and counter the impact of the police station closing, and other towns and villages losing out.

"The delivery of the service will be in the mobile police station calling on a structured basis. And, clearly the public are voting with their feet because they are using the facility."