Police chiefs call for cuts to number of forces in England and Wales | Police
Guardian, the police chiefs in the UK and Wales to the ministers, the “Postal Code for Crime Victims” should be cut in a way that the number of forces should be cut.
They believe that a decrease caused by the existing 43 forces will save money, cut general expenses and increase their efforts to fight crime.
Law enforcement officers, Interior Minister Yette Cooper’a last month on the police reform at a round table meeting, said they agreed about the need for change.
Cooper has already supported other police reforms, such as establishing a national policy center, and believes that it is not up to date to organize policing in England and Wales. However, lack of money threatens to delay changes and some small forces may oppose changes.
A source said that any change could start with the unification or lifting of smaller forces. Gloucestershire and Wiltshire may unite in the West. In Midlands, Warwickshire can join the Western Mercia Force or be absorbed by a much larger West Midlands force.
In the east, Norfolk and Suffolk forces may unite. West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire forces can also unite.
Gavin Stephens, President of the Council of National Police Chiefs, told Guardian: “Police reform is about to restructure policing, so that it can keep up with modern guilt, and to maintain our labor force with national threats against women and girls.
“Our current model, which consists of 43 different police forces in the UK and Wales, has a wide range of geographical size, labor size and operational capabilities. There is a real variation in financial flexibility and investment ability, which works in skillful different ways with the frequently incompatibility that leads to inefficiency and inconsistency.
“Fewer police forces supported by a national police organization will enable us to make decisions faster and maximize the funds to invest in technology and labor.
A high -level source said: “Everyone needs less power. Efficiency and more activities will create.”
Another source with knowledge of the discussions said: “The chefs of smaller powers are tense, but this is where the tide goes. We hope to a gradual decrease in the next decade.”
This parliament is not expected to have any changes, and after the next election, any government change may lead to an agreement on the elimination of police forces.
Politically, it was believed that a decrease in the number of powers would have to be under labor. MPs representing conservative areas, which tend to be less urban, were afraid that the police would pass from more rural areas to areas where the crime was higher.
A chief officer said that if his forces absorb a smaller force, people in rural areas could be given a guarantee that how many civil servants would take a bell to protect them.
Yet, detailed plans have not been prepared or presented to the government, but Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley said he preferred a small reduction up to 12 forces. It is understood that this is the number of forces that high -level police chiefs think that they should cover England and Wales.
In a piece for Sunday Times, Rowley said: “The 43 strong models were designed in the 1960s and have not been suitable for at least twenty years. It prevented the effective confrontation of today’s threats and stops us completely to collect the benefits of technology.
“We need to reduce the number of powers with new, larger and talented regional powers supported by the best of modern technology.”
In Scotland, the forces have already united at an organization that encompasses the entire country that was the second largest in England behind Met. Northern Ireland is covered with a single force.
