Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey has responded to the Police Reform White Paper, announced in the House of Commons today.
From Local to National: a New Model for Policing outlines a number of radical changes to policing in England and Wales.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood MP has described proposals as “the most significant changes to policing in about 200 years.” Proposals include:
- The creation of a new National Police Service
- Police force mergers, creating a “small number” of regional forces out of the current 43 in England and Wales
- Abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) – and their replacement by mayors or local crime and policing boards
- Raising standards with a new licence to practice and policing targets
- Massive investment in technology including £115m in Ai and roll-out of facial recognition across the country
On the National Police Service – British ‘FBI’
He said: “I welcome the creation of a National Police Service announced in the Police Reform White Paper and the renewed focus on neighbourhood policing, which must remain rooted in the communities we serve.
“However, any national reform must build on what already works locally. Our Regional Organised Crime Unit is amongst the best in the country and its expertise and performance must not be lost in a move to national structures.
“I would also urge the Government to guarantee that vital local support services, such as victim support, crime prevention and offender management remain protected and delivered locally. They cannot become a one-size-fits-all national service, when it is clear that our local support services know our communities better than anyone.
“These changes however, risk concentrating unprecedented power in the hands of the Home Secretary and the National Police Service Commissioner. That level of central control over policing in England and Wales is constitutionally alien and carries real risks. It must be matched by robust scrutiny and oversight, involving both local operational leaders and those who are the public’s voice in policing.
On merging police forces
“I have serious concerns over proposals to merge police forces. At a time when every pound of public money matters, it would be wrong to pour scarce resources into a costly, complex and time-consuming reorganisation of police forces. I believe it would be much better to put that funding where it belongs; into frontline, local policing.
“Mergers will take many years to deliver, if at all, and will break the vital connection between local communities and the officers who serve them. In the North East, all three forces already face significant financial challenges. Merging them would not solve that problem but instead create one larger, cash-strapped force.
“Before redrawing boundaries, the failed police funding formula must be fixed, and forces properly resourced based on need and deprivation, not population. A model that seeks to make everywhere look like the Metropolitan Police, to me, is not the answer.
“All police forces face very different challenges, risks and demands. Local knowledge, strong neighbourhood police and clear local accountability should be a strength, not a weakness.”
On accountability
“It is wrong to say that policing lacks local accountability. PCCs are directly elected to hold police forces to account. I know from the work I have done in Cleveland that our scrutiny processes are robust and provide an excellent degree of challenge to Cleveland Police on behalf of the public. Replacing PCCs with local policing boards would weaken, not strengthen, accountability.
On neighbourhood policing
“The message from our residents is clear – they want to see more neighbourhood officers proactively policing in their communities. I welcome any opportunity to protect officers dedicated to community policing, to ensure they avoid abstractions and spend as much time as possible engaging with local people.
“Whilst investment in neighbourhood policing is the right priority, it must be properly resourced and funded. In Cleveland, we have seen a reduction in our funding and yet we are still expected to deliver an increase in neighbourhood policing. Without new investment, commitments risk becoming little more than window dressing.
On investment in police technology
“The use of technology such as live facial recognition and other AI tools is something I welcome. Anything that keeps members of the public and businesses safe has my full support. It provides police offices with extra support to catch criminals quickly and acts as a deterrent to prevent crime from happening.”