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See other news storiesHome Secretary delays police force mergers
20 June 2006
Home Secretary John Reid calls for further discussions before police mergers begin.
The Home Secretary told MPs that he believes mergers are ultimately 'the right way' for forces to go, but he said there should be more talks before the proposed joining together of many of England and Wales forces takes place. Given that, he said, no forces would be ordered to merge before summer recess, which starts on 25 July. The only exception is the voluntary merger of Cumbria and Lancashire forces, which is expected to go forward as planned.
Talks with police forces, police authorities and local authorities will continue beyond the planned period of formal objections, which would otherwise have expired on 2 July for some forces and 10 August for others.
'I am keen to engage in continuing discussion and dialogue with police forces and police authorities over the summer on how best to improve protective services,' Dr Reid explained.
He promised to spend the summer in 'discussion, dialogue and listening' to the concerns of police force leaders about the proposals to cut the number of forces from 43 to as few as 17.
Why merge?
The proposal to merge the police forces has been controversial, as it represents a major shift in the way the nation's police are organised.
The mergers were designed to reflect changes in the nature of crime police are fighting, and to build a police service more able to address quickly and effectively problems of serious organised crime and home-grown terrorism, while not losing sight of the need for effective neighbourhood policing. The current police system can be fragmented, making it difficult to pursue cases that cross force boundaries.
Background to the restructuring plans
A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the independent experts on the police service, found that if police were to have more success tackling serious crime and terrorism as well as responsive neighbourhood policing, they would have to restructure into fewer, larger, strategic forces. But the HMIC report was not popular with some forces and authorities, who wanted more time to discuss their concerns with the Home Secretary.
Slowing down the merger timetable
The decision to slow down the timetable put in place by former Home Secretary Charles Clarke will allow time for further dialogue with the policing community, particularly around issues of cost, council tax and local accountability.
The move was greeted with approval by Bob Jones, chairman of the Association of Police Authorities, who told the BBC, 'We very much welcome this opportunity to continue dialogue on the most effective approach to meeting our shared priorities of improving both protective services and neighbourhood policing.'
