Essex Police to sell former station in Tilbury

The former Tilbury police station was shut in 2016 (Credit: Google Maps)

Essex Police is selling the former Tilbury police station in an attempt to save money and “modernise” its estate. 

The station, based in Civic Square, was closed in February 2016 but has still been used by detectives over the past few years. 

Essex Police spends around £10 million a year running its estate but a further £30 million is needed for maintenance work to bring the buildings up to standard. 

A spokesperson for the force said that money “can be better invested in preventing and fighting crime by recruiting officers and investing in technology”. 

They explained the force expects to have more than 3,500 officers by March 2022 and local policing teams still carry out patrols in Tilbury every day to keep residents safe.  

District Commander for Thurrock, Chief Insp Mark Barber, said: “Thurrock has already seen the investment in officers and staff and specifically the creation of the Town Centre Teams and the Community Safety Engagement Officers who continue to work closely with their communities.

“But it’s important to remember that police officers protect and serve communities, secure justice for victims and catch and lock up criminals – not buildings. Every day your officers are out in Tilbury working hard to keep you safe – the sale of a police building won’t change that, you will continue to see your local officers out and about doing what they do best – protecting you.”

People in Tilbury who need to visit a police station are urged to go to the one in Grays which provides a front counter service from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. 

Roger Hirst, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, added:  “We need to invest in a modern police force where officers can spend more time out in their communities not in stations completing paperwork.

“By rationalising our estate and investing in technology we can give our officers the tools to log and register crimes while they are out and about. We can help them become more visible and deliver a better service to the public.”

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