Chief constable calls for a 'national police force'
CHIEF Constable Colin Port "passionately" believes a national police force could be the best way forward for the UK.
The head of Avon and Somerset constabulary expressed the radical view during a webchat on the police website.
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Fielding questions from members of the public, Mr Port's ears pricked up at one question in particular.
A woman called Jess asked: "Are there any plans to make one regional police force or even one national one?"
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Mr Port, pictured, answered: "Oh dear Jess you've struck on a subject close to my heart. I believe passionately in a national police service which would be delivered locally without the need for 43 chief constables, at least 43 different IT systems. Scotland is leading the way in relation to this. I do hope we follow."
In Scotland, from next April, eight regional forces are being merged into one, under a government drive to save cash without hitting front-line operations. The new chief constable will take charge of what will be the second largest force in the UK, with more than 17,000 officers.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said there would be no compulsory redundancies, but trade unions believe 3,000 posts could go.
And Mr Port said a similar model in England would still allow for effective policing at grass-roots level.
"There's no reason why this would affect in a negative aspect local policing," he said. "In fact I think it would enhance it."
During the discussion Mr Port was asked about the personal safety of his officers, the appointment in November of a policing and crime commissioner to replace the police authority, and some light-hearted topics.
On whether police officers should be armed, Mr Port said: "I don't want to see all police officers in the UK armed. I'm terrifically proud of what the British police service does in an unarmed context but we just have to look at the dreadful events that took place in Greater Manchester recently to realise the dangers which confront people in uniform."
On the new commissioner system, he said: "You'll appreciate that I'm not a politician and that we do live in a democracy and the introduction of commissioners is a decision of the democratically elected government. If there is a personality clash then the commissioner has the power to hire and fire the chief constable. Upon the force I hope the commissioner will do the job the police authority has done in working with the constabulary to set the strategic priorities, having listened to the public."
On a more light-hearted note, Mr Port revealed his Saturday night TV tastes. When asked whether he preferred Strictly Come Dancing or X Factor, he admitted: "I have in the past been an X Factor fan however I have to say I've gone off it. I skip Strictly and go straight to Dr Who."
Comments
by FromMendip
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 12:42PM
“Back in the 1980s there were clear plans for regional police forces. I've been a supporter of this concept for many years as I believe it to be a more efficient way of running the service.
Police forces have gradually amalgamated down the years. In this area there was a separate Bath City Police force until 1966 until it joined the Somerset Constabulary to become Somerset and Bath Police.
Then in 1974, at the time of the major local government reorganisation which amongst many things saw the creation of the then new but subsequently short-lived county of Avon, the police forces if England and Wales were reduced in number still further.
Somerset and Bath joined the Bristol Constabulary (then the largest in the South West and with many more officers than currently police Bristol) and the southern division of the Gloucestershire Constabulary to become Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
Further west the former Exeter City, Plymouth City, Cornwall and Devon forces were joined as one into the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary: and so it went on around the country.
There were some anomalies that still remain. In the South West the tiny Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Constabularies persist as independent forces. Some will argue that local knowledge and control are important but these forces really are too small to be as efficient as they might be, which doesn't denigrate in any way the dedicated, hard-working members of those organisations.
Going back even further small towns such as Bridgwater once had their own independent police forces.
I don't advocate going the whole way to one national force. There are too many potential dangers. A national police force would make it much easier for any government to use it as an oppressive tool of the state for that government's own ends.
A national force would lead to a Minister of Police and it would be politicised to a greater extent and more quickly than the police service is currently in thrall to its political masters.
In forces where the new police and crime commissioner is a party nominee there are clear dangers that those forces will be used as a football for party political ends.
Police forces should be completely non party political and the independence of chief constables in operational matters must be retained. At the moment they answer to their police committee which is drawn from a wide range of the local public. That's much better for democratic control on behalf of the people than a single political party one-person control.
A national force would see this unwanted effect multiplied many times.”
by BCFCfinker
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 11:08AM
“They can save money on the HR, the IT, the infrastructure etc. but police need to be held accountable locally so regional police authorities are still needed.”