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Police forces 'need restructure' | Police forces 'need restructure' |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The 43 English and Welsh police forces are the most expensive in the world and are in need of dramatic change, the think tank Reform has said. | The 43 English and Welsh police forces are the most expensive in the world and are in need of dramatic change, the think tank Reform has said. |
It says they are run as inefficient and costly fiefdoms accountable only to weak police authorities. | It says they are run as inefficient and costly fiefdoms accountable only to weak police authorities. |
And three years after plans for merged "superforces" were dropped, it suggests there should be more, smaller forces. | And three years after plans for merged "superforces" were dropped, it suggests there should be more, smaller forces. |
The Home Office said it made no apology for record investments which had helped cut crime by over a third in 12 years. | The Home Office said it made no apology for record investments which had helped cut crime by over a third in 12 years. |
The Reform report said that if the forces do not change their structures, they risked losing the battle against rapidly changing crime. | The Reform report said that if the forces do not change their structures, they risked losing the battle against rapidly changing crime. |
'Oligarchy' | 'Oligarchy' |
It said Scotland Yard should co-ordinate the national fight against serious and organised crime in the same way as it dealt with terrorism. | It said Scotland Yard should co-ordinate the national fight against serious and organised crime in the same way as it dealt with terrorism. |
Many regional forces should be split into smaller units, creating up to 52 more constabularies, because they are too big to be effective, the report added. | Many regional forces should be split into smaller units, creating up to 52 more constabularies, because they are too big to be effective, the report added. |
This suggestion comes just three years after the government abandoned plans to merge many of the existing forces to create just 17 large "superforces". | This suggestion comes just three years after the government abandoned plans to merge many of the existing forces to create just 17 large "superforces". |
The current 43 forces should be split into a total of around 95 so police forces can properly reflect their local communities Elizabeth TrussDeputy director, Reform | The current 43 forces should be split into a total of around 95 so police forces can properly reflect their local communities Elizabeth TrussDeputy director, Reform |
Reform's deputy director, Elizabeth Truss, said: "The threat of crime is changing and growing but the police response has been hampered by the obsolete structure of 43 regional forces. | Reform's deputy director, Elizabeth Truss, said: "The threat of crime is changing and growing but the police response has been hampered by the obsolete structure of 43 regional forces. |
"England and Wales need a national lead force on serious crime such as gun crime, drugs and people trafficking. | "England and Wales need a national lead force on serious crime such as gun crime, drugs and people trafficking. |
"The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) is the wrong answer to the right question. The Metropolitan Police is the de facto national force and needs to be formally responsible. | "The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) is the wrong answer to the right question. The Metropolitan Police is the de facto national force and needs to be formally responsible. |
"Data shows small police forces catch more criminals than larger ones. The current 43 forces should be split into a total of around 95 so police forces can properly reflect their local communities." | "Data shows small police forces catch more criminals than larger ones. The current 43 forces should be split into a total of around 95 so police forces can properly reflect their local communities." |
The report, called A New Force, said the cost of policing had increased by more than £4.5bn since Labour came to power in 1997. | The report, called A New Force, said the cost of policing had increased by more than £4.5bn since Labour came to power in 1997. |
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) was a "self-perpetuating oligarchy" of senior police officers, it added.There is a benefit to a single structure, says West Yorkshire's chief constable | The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) was a "self-perpetuating oligarchy" of senior police officers, it added.There is a benefit to a single structure, says West Yorkshire's chief constable |
A Home Office spokesman said: "The 60% increase in funding since 1997/8 combined with historically high numbers of police officers, staff and police community support officers has helped deliver very real benefits. | A Home Office spokesman said: "The 60% increase in funding since 1997/8 combined with historically high numbers of police officers, staff and police community support officers has helped deliver very real benefits. |
"Crime has fallen by over a third in the last 12 years and the risk of being a victim of crime is historically low. | "Crime has fallen by over a third in the last 12 years and the risk of being a victim of crime is historically low. |
"We are building on these successes by slashing red tape to get more officers on the beat, scrapping all top down targets except one - to increase public confidence, and making sure the police answer to the public, not government." | "We are building on these successes by slashing red tape to get more officers on the beat, scrapping all top down targets except one - to increase public confidence, and making sure the police answer to the public, not government." |
Sir Norman Bettison, representing Acpo, said the report was based on opinion rather than evidence but did highlight some key issues. | Sir Norman Bettison, representing Acpo, said the report was based on opinion rather than evidence but did highlight some key issues. |
Sir Norman, who is the chief constable of West Yorkshire, said: "Serious organised crime is not an abstract phenomenon. The drugs are dealt, firearms used and acquisitive crime committed in local neighbourhoods. | |
"The perpetrators and their violence plague local communities. | "The perpetrators and their violence plague local communities. |
"There is therefore a benefit to a single structure, able to build intelligence and the means to tackle criminality at neighbourhood, force, regional and national level." | "There is therefore a benefit to a single structure, able to build intelligence and the means to tackle criminality at neighbourhood, force, regional and national level." |
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