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| Will police commissioners make the north safer? | Will police commissioners make the north safer? |
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| In case you missed it, last Friday saw David Cameron blitzing the regional papers to sell his flagship law and order policy of Police and Crime Commissioners. | In case you missed it, last Friday saw David Cameron blitzing the regional papers to sell his flagship law and order policy of Police and Crime Commissioners. |
| Contributions made for the Liverpool Echo, the Manchester Evening News and the Yorkshire Post resembled less a targeted media strategy and more a cut and paste job, gaps obviously left in each piece marked up 'insert name of place here'. That aside, the Prime Minister's message was consistent throughout: that the introduction of the American style commissioners will provide a voice for the people, someone they can hold to account for policing priorities and results in a way that they cannot with the existing police authorities, which Cameron calls 'invisible'. | Contributions made for the Liverpool Echo, the Manchester Evening News and the Yorkshire Post resembled less a targeted media strategy and more a cut and paste job, gaps obviously left in each piece marked up 'insert name of place here'. That aside, the Prime Minister's message was consistent throughout: that the introduction of the American style commissioners will provide a voice for the people, someone they can hold to account for policing priorities and results in a way that they cannot with the existing police authorities, which Cameron calls 'invisible'. |
| Putting aside the question of why the issue was not included in the Mayoral referendums, we are now due to vote on 15 November - historically one of the worst months to hold any sort of election in terms of turnout – to elect one of the various candidates for the job of steering our local police force. | Putting aside the question of why the issue was not included in the Mayoral referendums, we are now due to vote on 15 November - historically one of the worst months to hold any sort of election in terms of turnout – to elect one of the various candidates for the job of steering our local police force. |
| The Government's line is that they will not be interfering in operational decisions which are, theoretically, to remain the responsibility of chief constables, but the temptation will surely be for the new commissioners to begin to micro-manage, reacting to every crime-related story that makes it to the local press, radio or TV. | The Government's line is that they will not be interfering in operational decisions which are, theoretically, to remain the responsibility of chief constables, but the temptation will surely be for the new commissioners to begin to micro-manage, reacting to every crime-related story that makes it to the local press, radio or TV. |
| That may be seen as a form of accountability. But how genuinely accountable will the commissioners really be? In the case of directly-elected mayors, many in the 'no' camp argued that they would be able to do as they pleased, acting in an almost dictatorial manner. In practice, they have to answer throughout their term of office to local councillors, elected for that purpose. | That may be seen as a form of accountability. But how genuinely accountable will the commissioners really be? In the case of directly-elected mayors, many in the 'no' camp argued that they would be able to do as they pleased, acting in an almost dictatorial manner. In practice, they have to answer throughout their term of office to local councillors, elected for that purpose. |
| Who, on a day to day basis, will provide similar forensic scrutiny and questioning of the commissioners? Little wonder that West Yorkshire's chief constable, the high profile Sir Norman Bettison, has warned that introducing elections to the police service in this way risks potential corruption, as commissioners become tempted to do things to thank and reward those who got them elected. | Who, on a day to day basis, will provide similar forensic scrutiny and questioning of the commissioners? Little wonder that West Yorkshire's chief constable, the high profile Sir Norman Bettison, has warned that introducing elections to the police service in this way risks potential corruption, as commissioners become tempted to do things to thank and reward those who got them elected. |
| Once elected, commissioners are also unlikely to have anywhere near the room for manoeuvre they would need to do an effective job. Already forces across the UK are having to preside over a 20% cut to their funding from Whitehall. Home Office statistics have shown that between September 2010 and September 2011 police numbers in the North East fell by 4.6% and by 4.7% in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. With such cuts and reductions in police officer numbers well underway, it is unlikely that commissioners will be able to make changes to what are fast becoming irrecoverable force reductions. | Once elected, commissioners are also unlikely to have anywhere near the room for manoeuvre they would need to do an effective job. Already forces across the UK are having to preside over a 20% cut to their funding from Whitehall. Home Office statistics have shown that between September 2010 and September 2011 police numbers in the North East fell by 4.6% and by 4.7% in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. With such cuts and reductions in police officer numbers well underway, it is unlikely that commissioners will be able to make changes to what are fast becoming irrecoverable force reductions. |
| And what of public opinion? According to recent polling by ComRes for Centreground, 60% of respondents across the North East and West said that they hadn't heard about the introduction of Police Commissioners, whilst 48% in Yorkshire and the Humber said that they didn't know what it was all about. Indeed, across all three northern regions, less than 20% of respondents had both heard about the policy and understood what it would mean. | And what of public opinion? According to recent polling by ComRes for Centreground, 60% of respondents across the North East and West said that they hadn't heard about the introduction of Police Commissioners, whilst 48% in Yorkshire and the Humber said that they didn't know what it was all about. Indeed, across all three northern regions, less than 20% of respondents had both heard about the policy and understood what it would mean. |
| Meanwhile it is the Conservatives, ironically, that have been slow at nominating candidates to be commissioners. Many Labour big beasts have accepted their inevitable introduction and are now chomping at the bit to get selected. Former MPs, Peter Kilfoyle and Jane Kennedy are continuing to battle it out for the nomination in Merseyside; former Parliamentary Labour party chair and Manchester MP, Tony Lloyd has been chosen as the party's candidate in Greater Manchester; former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Prescott in making a high profile pitch for the job in Humberside and the former Redcar MP and Solicitor General, Vera Baird has made clear her desire to run the police force in Northumbria. | Meanwhile it is the Conservatives, ironically, that have been slow at nominating candidates to be commissioners. Many Labour big beasts have accepted their inevitable introduction and are now chomping at the bit to get selected. Former MPs, Peter Kilfoyle and Jane Kennedy are continuing to battle it out for the nomination in Merseyside; former Parliamentary Labour party chair and Manchester MP, Tony Lloyd has been chosen as the party's candidate in Greater Manchester; former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Prescott in making a high profile pitch for the job in Humberside and the former Redcar MP and Solicitor General, Vera Baird has made clear her desire to run the police force in Northumbria. |
| In light of this way that Labour has embraced the concept, it is little wonder that polling indicates that the party is already seen by those interested as most likely to have the best candidates in November. One wonders, given the further electoral bruising that this will give electors the opportunity to inflict on the Government, just how worth it Ministers might privately feel it has been to have implemented the policy. | In light of this way that Labour has embraced the concept, it is little wonder that polling indicates that the party is already seen by those interested as most likely to have the best candidates in November. One wonders, given the further electoral bruising that this will give electors the opportunity to inflict on the Government, just how worth it Ministers might privately feel it has been to have implemented the policy. |
| Here's another dichotomy, if one were needed. How does the talk of localising and making more accountable the police service square with the establishment of the new National Crime Agency (NCA)? Contained within the Crime and Courts Bill, debated for the first time this week in the House of Lords, the agency will be given responsibility for tackling organised crime; strengthening borders; fighting fraud and cyber-crime and protecting children and young people. There's even talk of giving it responsibility for counter-terrorism policing. | Here's another dichotomy, if one were needed. How does the talk of localising and making more accountable the police service square with the establishment of the new National Crime Agency (NCA)? Contained within the Crime and Courts Bill, debated for the first time this week in the House of Lords, the agency will be given responsibility for tackling organised crime; strengthening borders; fighting fraud and cyber-crime and protecting children and young people. There's even talk of giving it responsibility for counter-terrorism policing. |
| Just as David Cameron tells the north that the police service needs an injection of democracy to improve its performance, this new and very powerful national body will be led by someone who will not be elected. | Just as David Cameron tells the north that the police service needs an injection of democracy to improve its performance, this new and very powerful national body will be led by someone who will not be elected. |
| During debate on the measure in the House of Lords this week, Lord Prescott spoke of NCA as the "biggest centralisation of our police that we have witnessed for many a year". The Home Office minister, Lord Henley, sought to argue that the new agency would be working "in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies", but it begs the question of how local should our policing and law enforcement operations be, and of what should be policed at what level. | During debate on the measure in the House of Lords this week, Lord Prescott spoke of NCA as the "biggest centralisation of our police that we have witnessed for many a year". The Home Office minister, Lord Henley, sought to argue that the new agency would be working "in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies", but it begs the question of how local should our policing and law enforcement operations be, and of what should be policed at what level. |
| The first duty of any Government should always be the safety and security of the people who elect them. The jury is now out on whether the proposed changes to the way the police service in England and Wales is run will dramatically improve safety and have a significant impact on levels of crime. | The first duty of any Government should always be the safety and security of the people who elect them. The jury is now out on whether the proposed changes to the way the police service in England and Wales is run will dramatically improve safety and have a significant impact on levels of crime. |
| What do you think? Will Police Commissioners make Northern England safer? Is it right that they should be directly elected or will it serve only to politicise the police? Ed Jacobs is a political consultant at the Leeds-based Public Affairs Company and devolution correspondent for the centre-left political and policy blog, Left Foot Forward. | What do you think? Will Police Commissioners make Northern England safer? Is it right that they should be directly elected or will it serve only to politicise the police? Ed Jacobs is a political consultant at the Leeds-based Public Affairs Company and devolution correspondent for the centre-left political and policy blog, Left Foot Forward. |
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