Green Paper warning to Government - 10-10-2008

Direct elections to police authorities could lead to greater 'politicisation' of policing, the Home Secretary has been warned.

Sussex Police Authority and Sussex Police have submitted a joint response giving their views on the Government's Policing Green Paper ‘From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing our Communities Together'.

In their response they say that 'no convincing case' has been made for changing the arrangements for appointing police authority members. In Sussex the three consitutent authorities, West Sussex and East Sussex County Councils and Brighton & Hove City Council - appoint their most senior members to the Police Authority: their removal could 'significantly damage the present productive arrangements' between policing and local government.

It says: "These vital links ensure that policing remains connected with local government, but not owned by it. The introduction of directly elected members would obscure, not clarify, local accountability, and lead to the greater politicisation of policing."

There is no evidence that the public would support an extra round of elections, which could take up to £750,000 from frontline policing in Sussex. It says: "Such elections are more likely to attract candidates seeking to pursue personal agendas which, if they were elected, would swiftly bring them into conflict with chief constables."

Sussex Police Authority chairman Lionel Barnard said: "We welcome the Green Paper's acknowledgement of the steps taken by police authorities and forces, including Sussex, to enhance the ability of police to deal with counter-terrorism and the most serious forms of crime, both independently and in collaboration with other forces and partners.

"This removes the need for any further talk of force mergers, and that debate should now be regarded as firmly closed."

Other points from the Sussex Police Authority and Sussex Police response. They:

• WELCOME the declared ambition of the Government to step away from centralised performance management and look forward to this being translated into action;
• URGE the Home Office not to proceed with plans for a national border police force, but to rely on the measures contained in the forthcoming Transport Security Bill to provide the desired benefits, without the extra costs; and
• APPROVE of the clear statement that no attempt will be made to remove or modify the right of police authorities to raise the local contribution to the costs of policing though the council tax.

News Source: Sussex Police

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