POLICE communication with the public after an apparent armed robbery in Wellington last month was criticised at a town council meeting.
Cllr John Thorne queried why the incident, which happened at a petrol filling station in Longforth Road, had not been included in Sgt Dan Bishop’s monthly crime report to councillors.
Town clerk Dave Farrow said the official explanation of its absence in the report was that the incident was dealt with by officers who were not part of the local neighbourhood policing team.
But Cllr Thorne said it was unacceptable for the police not to report anything to the council and he was also disappointed that nothing had been communicated to the public.
Cllr Thorne said: “The police are always talking about how the community should be working with them and telling them about incidents and not just putting them on social media.
“But when an armed robbery happens in the community, they do nothing to reassure us that they are dealing with it and that people do not need to worry.
“After this robbery happened there was nothing on the police website to even acknowledge it had taken place, while their social media feeds carried photographs of two police officers sunning themselves on Minehead beach.
“With social media these days things get around very quickly and I know people were concerned at the rumours which were circulating.
“When there is an information void, social media fills it with things which are not necessarily accurate.
“The police should have been putting it out there that they were dealing with this matter but they failed to do so and caused alarm for some people in our community.
“I am very disappointed with them.”
Deputy mayor Cllr Nancy Powell-Brace thought it might not have been possible for the police to say anything at the time because it was an active crime which they were investigating and they did not want to prejudice their inquiries.
However, councillors decided that Sgt Bishop should be asked to provide an explanation for the lack of information at next month’s meeting.