Public oppose police regionalisation

A Populus survey for the Policy Exchange think tank reveals that yet another plank of Labour's regionalisation agenda is unpopular with the public.  The survey reveals that opposition to plans for the merging of police forces is greatest when the public is most aware of the proposals.  Among those surveyed who are aware of the merger plans, Populus found that 43% were opposed and only 20% supportive.  Download a PDF of the full results of the Populus/ PX survey.

Nick Herbert MP, the shadow minister devising the Conservative Party's programme of police reform (plans which could be greatly complicated by force regionalisation), welcomed the findings:

"It's clear that the public strongly oppose police force mergers.  People want policing to be local, responsive and accountable.  The new Home Secretary should get his priorities right and drop this costly, unnecessary, unwanted and distracting reorganisation."

The polls follow a particularly chaotic couple of days for the proposals.  Yesterday's Telegraph noted research from Tim Brain, chief constable of Gloucestershire, that the implementation of Labour's plan "would cost the equivalent of 25,000 police officer salaries".  Thursday's Western Mail reported that chief constables had "walked out on talks" about plans for an all-Wales police service.

James O’Shaughnessy, Head of Research at Policy Exchange, said that “Local residents know that merging police forces will mean fewer police, less accountability and less attention paid to local crime. Home Secretary John Reid must act to stop these plans now.”  Mr O'Shaughnessy may get his action quickly.  There is Westminster speculation that the new Home Secretary may use a speech next week to backtrack on the regionalisation agenda inherited from his discredited predecessor.

Comments

[CCHQ Spy]

Labour say there are advantages to their subregionalism agenda for the police but those advantages cannot be greater than the benefit of getting 25,000 more coppers on to our streets. It is for similar practical reasons I am against ID cards. I have no civil liberties concerns about them. On the contrary, if they could be implemented correctly I think they would enlarge the liberties of the law-abiding. My concern with ID cards is that they cost too much. The money the government will spend on ID cards would be better spent on more police, improved intelligence and proper border security.

[matt wright]

Beware the regionalisation of the police. It is not funded and has been rushed without real understanding of the practical realities in areas like Wales. Local taxpayers will end up paying yet another stealth tax as a result and having less local control and community policing.

Matt

[Nigel C]

I am surprised there are only two comments on this issue so far.
Creeping regionalisation is a huge issue: police, ambulance, fire services, planning... the list goes on.
Policy is to abolish Regional Assemblies when we win power. What happens in the meantime? There seem to be many Conservative councillors actively promoting these bodies. How do we explain that on the doorstep?

[Ted]

Since Heath's 1974 re-organisation of local government it seems to have become policy for ever more amalgamation and moving towards regional rather than local bodies.

We should be actively trying to destroy the non-elected regional assemblies, we should be attacking in particulat this amalgamation of the Police.

It is yet another policy from that highly efficient & effective Home Office. It will not be funded properly, will take policing further from the people and puts the Home Sectretary in an unecessarily powerful position - politicising the police.