NEW figures have revealed that almost 5,000 people were held in the custody suite at Greenock police station during 2023 - as key questions over a replacement facility remain unanswered.
Labour MSP Paul O'Kane unearthed the statistic using Freedom of Information laws, after asking force chiefs for a monthly breakdown of the number of people held in the cells for the year.
The data shows that 4,944 people were registered as being in the cells at the station across 12 months.
The figures have been released in the wake of a public consultation being launched on the future of the Rue End Street facility.
Police Scotland propose to close and replace it, sparking major concerns about a possible loss of custody facilities and the consequences this would cause for frontline policing.
Chiefs have confirmed there will be a 'custody solution' at a new site, but have not been able to elaborate on the nature of it.
MSP Mr O’Kane says the data shows how busy the Greenock custody suite is, and why proper cells must be retained in the town.
He told the Tele: "These figures are a snapshot of the essential use of the custody suite in Greenock and I think they make an undeniable case that the area cannot lose such a facility.
"The question is, where would all of these hundreds of people per month, or thousands of people per year, be held instead of the Greenock custody suite?"
Mr O'Kane also requested information from Police Scotland relating to the number of people held in the custody suite at Govan police station in 2023, as it has been mooted by some as a potential alternative to having cells in Greenock.
Figures reveal that 8,205 arrested individuals were held at Govan in 2023, which Mr O'Kane says finally rules out the facility from ever being considered a 'suitable alternative'.
He added: "Besides the fact that the custody suite in Govan already deals with hundreds of people every month, it wouldn’t be a suitable alternative because that would involve officers being out of Inverclyde for hours of their shifts.
"We must keep a custody suite in Greenock.
"The need for it is clear and the safety and security of the area depends on it."
Mr O'Kane recently met with area commander Chief Inspector Damian Kane at the station to discuss the matter.
He said: "It's clear that the custody suite is a big consideration.
"The cells are dated and old but they serve a very strong and important purpose.
"Losing custody provision would not just impact upon Inverclyde but would have a knock-on effect on other areas.
"The management at Police Scotland are definitely listening to concerns, but these have to be addressed and followed through now.
"Everyone is saying the same thing - there must be a custody provision in Greenock, and if there isn't, there must be a very serious conversation about why not."
SNP MSP Stuart McMillan spoke out about the potential closure of Greenock police station following a meeting of Inverclyde Council's police scrutiny board.
He said he needed 'further assurances' regarding the custody suite at any new station.
Mr McMillan said: "Inverclyde's two most senior officers are of the same opinion and want to see a custody suite retained if our local officers do move to a new station.
"Divisional commander Chief Superintendent Gordon McCreadie stated if this were not to be the case, we would need to see extra officers located in Greenock to cover when officers leave the area.
"However, he was clear this is not his preference, and he understands this would not go down well locally.
"I hope everyone can be assured that while I can understand local concerns, those in positions of authority in Police Scotland in relation to Inverclyde want the same as the rest of us, and I will do what I can to make sure this is delivered."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said repairs and investments have been made in the current custody suite at Greenock over the years, and provision in a new station will be an important part of considerations on shutting the current building.
The spokesperson added: "We are legally required to provide a custody provision which is consistent with our human rights obligations and mitigates risk to vulnerable persons held in custody, and this will naturally incur costs.
"Failure to invest could have compromised our capability to safely accommodate those in our care.
"While we are consulting on the potential disposal and relocation of Greenock Police Station, we recognise the need for a local policing service for the people of Inverclyde and a police presence in the area will continue, albeit perhaps from another site in Inverclyde yet to be determined.
"Practical matters, such as a custody provision and public counter service will naturally form part of our considerations."
The consultation closes on March 31.
The Telegraph's Protect Our Policing campaign calls for any new police station to have a permanent suite of custody cells for holding arrested people, and a public-facing front counter, open 24 hours every day.
It also demands staffing levels to be retained across CID, community policing, and response policing.
The online petition now has more than 1,000 signatures.
To sign it visit https://chng.it/kKyjPrjgp4
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