A regional newspaper editor is leading a campaign against Government proposals to introduce elected police commissioners.
Eastern Daily Press editor Peter Waters, left, fears there is a danger of the reforms creating a ‘politicised police force’ and is urging other local newspapers to join the debate.
The Government plans would see people vote for an elected police and crimes commissioner who would have the power to hire and fire the chief constable of a force and set the budget.
The campaign was launched on the back of cuts to Norfolk Constabulary which will see a 20pc reduction in the budget, amounting to a loss of £24.5m over four years.
The Archant-owned daily has been running both sides of the argument in a series of articles and opinion pieces, and included a piece with former Home Secretary Charles Clarke.
Writing in the EDP, Peter said that Norfolk Constabulary does not appear to be broken and does not need fixing with the government’s ‘broad brush’ approach.
Said Peter: “It is open to debate what makes the government think an elected commissioner is better qualified to oversee Norfolk Constabulary than the chief constable and Independent Police Authority.”
“Officially the reason for the reforms given by home secretary Theresa May in July 2010 is that they are about ‘reconnecting police and the people’.
“In Norfolk, and around the country, that would appear to be trying to solve a problem that does not exist.
“Our chief constable is accountable to the local police authority – the majority of whom are elected councillors – and has to stand by his record. The authority has the power to remove the chief.
“The letters pages of our newspaper are not inundated with readers’ grumbles against the constabulary. Indeed the EDP has been proud to use the headline ‘safest county in the country’ more than once in recent years.
“And in the past few weeks HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has praised efforts by Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies to work jointly to make combined savings of £38m over the next four years.”
According to Home Office figures, the cost nationally of this new system will be more than £130m, plus another £50m for elections every four years.
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Naive in the extreme. Where has Mr Waters been for the last 15 years ? The police are already politicised by a culture of left-leaning political correctness, just like the BBC. We now have ‘forces’ that are known as ‘services’, crooks known as ‘offenders’, and officers being sent on gay rights and diversity awareness courses when they should be apprehending criminals. Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke was fully behind this risible trend during his time in government. He is the last person whose views I would seek in any ‘debate’.
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We in North Yorkshire would love to sack our chief constable who admitted bypassing recruitment procedures to get a relative on the force. He refuses to resign despite an official reprimand, condemnation from MPs, and local papers. If a commissioner could get rid of this disgraced copper who has lost the confidence and respect of the public, then I’m all for them
For details see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/10/chief-constable-grahame-maxwell-misconduct
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-13369301
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This elected police chief idea – imported, like so much of this government’s more idiotic ideas, from the States – will produce policing by knee-jerk. Why do you think so much American crime fiction centres round the corruption caused by an impending election?
When Theresa May harps on about unaccountable police authorities she doesn’t make sense – they are mostly elected councillors, after all, but without the high personal profile than an elected police chief would have to have. I don’t want my force to be run by a power-hungry, fame-hungry politician, thanks.
Subbo: Considering the normal attitude of your urban copper-in-the-street to gays and blacks, a few more of those courses would not come amiss!
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The problem is there is no accountability in today’s police forces. Police Authority’s appoint chief constables etc, but I will bet you all my house if you go out and ask a person to name a member of the police authority you will get blank looks. I wiuld have thought newspapers were all for public service accountability and police forces responding to the needs of their readers….
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GladImOutOfIt, what you call the ‘normal attitude of your urban copper-in-the-street to gays and blacks’ is actually one of deep unease and even fear. If accused of discrimination, officers can too easily be disciplined and sacked. Gays and blacks have never enjoyed an easier time with UK police than they do today. That’s good when it comes to innocent gays and blacks – not so good when they are guilty of crime.
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