Police force restructure could have advantages

30 January 2020

IT’S worth having a “long, hard look” at restructuring the police service in England and Wales, Essex Police Federation has said.

Senior police officials have called on the Government to replace the 43 forces in England and Wales with fewer, larger forces, in order to better tackle organised crime. However The Times reported that Home Secretary Priti Patel was not considering a restructure.

The calls come ahead of a Royal Commission into the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, announced in December’s Queen’s Speech.

Steve Taylor, Chairman of Essex Police Federation, said: “In a time of competing financial demand, I think we need to have a long, hard look at the existing model. Forty-three versions of the same thing can’t be as cost-effective as a lesser number.”

Essex Police is part of a seven-force area. Steve continued: “When we do see collaboration, there are winners and losers. Some of our partners in the seven forces collaborate in a number of specialist areas such as dog units, firearms and traffic. And invariably you’re taking from one county and giving to another. So it’s always going to be fraught with danger.”

In 2013, Scotland’s eight regional forces were replaced with just one, Police Scotland. But Steve was cautious about the same thing happening in England. He said: “There’s a lot of local dynamics to policing and you could lose sight of those if you merge the organisation into one.

“The Scotland example requires a lot of study. A test bed could be Wales, which currently has four police forces, with layers of political complexity. That could be an opportunity for us to dip our toe into a merger, and see what happens.”

He said that having 43 Police and Crime Commissioners “makes for 43 different fiefdoms, which is politically difficult”. He added that he was in favour of reform: “I think we can deliver the same, if not a better, service if we move from 43 forces to a fewer number. We should take the time to really look at it.”