Police force mergers are on hold.
Home Secretary John Reid has called 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 the nation’s 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 force administrators 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.
What they say
Dr Reid said: "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." He promised to spend the summer in what he called ‘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?
As the Home Office says, the proposal (under previous Home Secretary Charles Clarke) to merge the police forces has been controversial, as it represents a major shift in the way the nation’s police are administered. The mergers were designed, the Home Office adds, 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 span the country.
Restructuring plans
A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) 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, who wanted more time to discuss their concerns with the Home Secretary.
Slowing down
The decision to slow down the timetable put in place by former Home Secretary Charles Clarke will give forces, police authorities and local authorities more time to work out issues related to the mergers, including costs, council tax and local accountability, according to the Home Office.
