Tauranga Police on the move for 18 months

The countdown is on for the Tauranga Police Station, with exactly one month to go until Police staff vacate the old station in Monmouth St, and relocate to 111 Third Avenue while the new station is being built.

The development of a new Police Station for Tauranga was formally announced in August. The new station will be built on the existing site, with the entire Tauranga Police operation moving to a temporary location in Third Ave on 9 January, and the site will be fully operational by 10 January.

The old Police Station will be demolished shortly afterwards, with the new station expected to be complete in approximately mid-2013.

The Western Bay of Plenty Area Commander, Inspector Mike Clement, says the Third Ave site will be fully operational as a Police Station, including the public service counter and Police cells.

"Tauranga Police will continue to be fully operational during the construction of the new station and we are committed to maintaining full service levels to the Tauranga community and wider Western Bay of Plenty Police Area during this period.

"A significant amount of work has been undertaken to fit-out the relocation site, and apart from a new address, the public shouldn't notice any difference in our level of service.

"The local community should feel reassured that Tauranga Police will be as accessible and available to members of the public as they are today, albeit from a different location for the next 18 months.

Inspector Clement says the Tauranga Police phone number remains the same, 07 577 4300, but in an emergency, people should call 111 immediately.

"We appreciate that our temporary location may take some getting used to for some people, but we hope that the "111" street address in Third Avenue will be easy to remember."

Inspector Clement says a large sign will be erected at the old site with takeaway maps to help direct people to the new station if they are not aware of the change.

"We will also have posters up in libraries and other public places, and notices in local papers and on radio. It's important to us to do everything we can to make as many people as possible aware of the change, and we're asking members of the public to help us do that too by spreading the message about the new temporary address."

Inspector Clement says the new and temporary Tauranga Station does not impact on the number of outlying stations in the Western Bay of Plenty Area, such as Papamoa, Te Puke, Tauranga South, Mt Maunganui and Katikati.

He says firearms licensing enquiries will still be managed at Tauranga Police's Durham St site at 148 Durham St.

ENDS

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