Residents in North Bradford could soon have more chances to see their officers at their local police stations through extended helpdesk opening hours.
Airedale and North Bradford Police are now looking at opening public helpdesks for longer across the whole divisional area after extending opening hours at Shipley Police Station.
The Helpdesk at the Shipley Police Station is now opening for longer each day Tuesday to Saturday, to provide a better service on the ground in Shipley for residents to pop in and use.
Instead of opening from 2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday the desk will now operate from 10am to 6pm (with a one hour closure for lunch between 1.30pm and 2.30pm) Tuesday to Saturday.
Officers believe opening on a Saturday instead of a Monday, (which is traditionally quiet) will also be a benefit to residents allowing them to come in and see officers over the weekend when they are off work.
Senior officers will be studying the results of extended opening over the coming weeks to see if the scheme can be introduced elsewhere.
The improved access to officers in Shipley also follows the launch of the Policing Pledge in Airedale and North Bradford earlier this year to guarantee residents levels of service from their Police officers.
These include making sure officers are reasonably available for the public in the community and that Police initiatives reflect residents priorities.
Chief Superintendent Allan Doherty of Airedale and North Bradford Police said the extended opening hours at Shipley had been possible thanks to a recent staff restructure there.
He said: "Improving access to local officers is a key part of Neighbourhood Policing and we are looking at rolling out extended opening times at some of the other smaller stations in the division in due course if they prove successful in Shipley."
Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, said: "I am delighted that West Yorkshire Police have recognised the importance of local police stations to Neighbourhood Policing and they should be commended for extending the opening hours at Shipley which is something that I have wanted to see for a long time.
"I also hope that Bingley Police Station will also benefit from this in the near future."
Inspector John Tatham of the Shipley Neighbourhood Police Team said: "We wanted to provide a better local service to people in their area so we are very pleased to now offer an extended service.
"Switching some cover from Mondays which have traditionally been quiet to Saturdays should also be a help to those residents who are working and find it difficult to come in during the week."
The Inspector said the team were still contactable outside of office hours for anyone who needed their assistance,
"To speak to your local Neighbourhood Police team contact 01274 537454 . This is not a permanently staffed station and in the event of not receiving a reply straightaway please leave a message with your contact details and we will get back to you within 24 hours," he added.