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Policing and Change –A Wider View. Barry Loveday Portsmouth University. The New Topography. England and Wales- an end to amalgamation debate for some time to come; Unlike Scotland where the amalgamation issue continues?;
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Policing and Change –A Wider View Barry Loveday Portsmouth University
The New Topography • England and Wales- an end to amalgamation debate for some time to come; • Unlike Scotland where the amalgamation issue continues?; • Currently the emphasis is now placed on collaboration between police forces; • This is making considerable progress – regionalisation through the back door?
The New Challenge? • New Localism – a growing consensus that centrally run ‘local’ services need to be returned to local communities; • A range of Think –Tanks have demonstrated a common assessment of the need for change- • IPPR, NLGN, Policy Exchange, Reform -each have a shared view of local accountability mechanisms and direct election.
New Localism • Elected Mayors and /or elected police commissioners; • Close to having all elected police authorities; • David Blunkett Review of police authorities; • MPS and Boris Johnson – Simon Jenkins view; • All political parties committed to reform at local level;
Recent developments • Flanagan Review 2008 and commitment to reform; • Resilience and workforce modernisation; • Neighbourhood Policing – and Neighbourhood Management; • Local CDRPs and local police service delivery; • All local authorities to set up Community Safety Committees; • Municipal policing – the new paradigm for police services?
Disaggregation • Ending concept of omni-competent police forces; • Disaggregation and creation of national police units – but mindful of SOCA experience; • These would deal with Level 2+3 crime; • Allow for the development of local policing to confront Level 1 crime + ASB;
Funding challenges- these are likely to grow and will impact on all public services; • Policing is expensive and may encourage search for alternative provision through the extended police family concept; • Policy Exchange research ‘Fitting the Bill’ 2007- argues for devolved budgets to local BCU commanders; • This would change the profile of local policing
Entrepreneurial Policing • Devolved budgets would encourage this development; • Considerable evidence that funding voluntary bodies brings big dividends and preferable to expanding local service bureaucracies; Private Sector- PFI example Reliance and Sussex Police; Workforce Modernisation – results from current sites very positive; Mixed Economy Teams provide value.
Conclusion • Ironically financial stringency could offer new opportunities and encourage greater entrepreneurial activity; • This premised on delegated budgets to local commanders; • Implementation of Mixed Economy Teams; • Local Authority engagement- neighbourhood wardens et al- buying in to local service delivery to reduce abstraction rates.
The Future? • Much greater private sector engagement; • Significant change in central-local responsibility for policing; • Direct elections and local accountability; • Significant reform of public sector pay and conditions- note Ian Blair’s comments at PERF Washington DC 2009; • Policing styles and the ‘war on terrorism’.